Rise of the Alpha Tamer
by ReaderPal
Summary: Before the Reaper War, the Devas, and the Tamer Titans were formed, there was a child who gained&lost both friends&family. Her last passion ended in a betrayal of trust. Then a odd Fox, powerful cards, and a piece of lost technology caused the Rise of the Alpha Tamer. She began her descent to hurting others, but then Ruki&Renamon got a chance to be heroes as more evil Digimon came.
1. Beginning of the Digital World!

Prologue: The Beginning of the Digital World.

The Makers saw potential amidst the endless grid. They took up our lifeless and meaningless world and "Tamed it", bending it to their will. Creating shapes and forms as had never been seen before. Including us, and the very ground we walk upon. They gave us life, they granted us the sweet release of death, and more importantly, granted us the joy of return. They then looked up to the sky and gave us their greatest gifts: Night for sleeping, stories, romance, and Day for work, battle, eating! They gave us great technology, writing, language and other things.

They later proved their benevolence by giving us the "Mahou" to do the same on a much smaller scale. With the secrets of how to create micro-verses and the special fields we now live, laugh, and play within, we formed a new credo "The artificial is Natural, the natural is artificial, and all nature is made from data." Eventually Our creators left, but they gave us six mighty gods to watch over, guide, and lead us. We thank the Makers for all that they have given us with prayer, story and song."

-Except from the Introduction of the "Nature Spirits Confederation's" founding document, the "Beast-Clan Treaty".

A small purple figure sighed. He was a Digimon, an Impmon specifically. He was staring at a nearly identical figure on a video chat. The only difference between them was that the figure on the screen wore a red bandanna, a white T-shirt, and yellow sneakers with black laces. It's the T-shirt had orange letters that spelled out "Punk'ed: Digital World Edition. With your host Aiako Kasamago the Impodokemon!" On one side of the shirt wearing Impmon's screen was a hologram with numbers that seemed to be counting down to something. It said, "6 minutes and 30 seconds until showtime." This Digimon was furious, perhaps because of something his counterpart had just said.

He spoke, his words rushing for like a river of anger, "A success... a success?! Have your optic subroutines 'gone blue'?! When I tuned in to watch your new webcast program I thought it was going to be a comedy show. Instead, I find out that my own brother made two of my dearest friends cry because he said a bunch of things without having done any research at all."

His brother looked worried and regretful. He replied, "Considering the nature of my show, I was just doing my job. I didn't intend to make them cry. All I did was make a crack about Ruki's getting a gig as the Bionic Woman, that incident with the Miracle Stone, that recent funeral, and a few other things. When they started crying, I told them I was sorry."

"You were supposed to be the responsible one in the family. When we first embarked on our old scavenging venture, I thought you were crazy. At this moment, I still do! I know certain events haven't been kind to you, like the Traditionalist Cultural Movement splitting into two warring factions, and I'm sorry for that accident Lopmon had, but I didn't expect you to become a professional jerk."

"I'm not crazy, I've been planning "Impudence-S.J.I" for two and a half years and I have big things planned. Besides, if I keep getting complaints, I'll probably just do a 'comedy-action' review podcast. The only reason why I didn't do that was because there are half a dozen of them out there right now. I mean, I have story lines planned out and I asked that guy with the magic gun for advice at Digicon 10 and he gave me some good tips. I just don't know how to make a review show unique. So I went with my second idea instead."

The Digimon on the screen gave his brother a worried look. "They might try to sue you, and their lawyer is a fellow veteran who happens to be a Blackwargreymon."

The Impmon looked at the screen in horror and shock, "Gah, I don't want to tangle with one of them. I'll make it up to them somehow, I promise."

The other one sighed, "Before you do anything else you should probably do some research on the two of them. There is a documentary miniseries I think you'll want to see. It's called..."

Minutes passed and the two talked some more with occasional bouts of shouting. Finally the time you went down to zero and the Impmon on-screen said, "Well, my lunch break is over. Time for me to Matrix Evolve and get back to work."

The two of them said their goodbyes and the screen went blank. The remaining Impmon went to a site that resembled Twitter and posted the following messages, "Onii-chan is such a dross! He doesn't like my new job and I'm enjoying what I do for the first time in three years. So what if I come across like a jerk on my shock-jock podcast? It's a part of the job description!"

"Still, he's right about the fact that I should do my research before mouthing off on something that would otherwise net me a verbal beat down. I'm going to watch a documentary after my next post here. Hopefully it'll be educational and entertaining. "

"Besides I need something take my mind off of Lopmon's accident last week. Glad Lopmon-chan is OK, even though Eir's leg and right arm is busted. That mon (being) makes my core pulse a little faster every time Ey looks at me."

He signed off of the site and had a thoughtful look. Then he looked at the time on the bottom left screen, and muttered something about lunch and going for a walk. He then turned off the computer for two hours and then returned to it.

He turned it on and after two minutes, the main screen appeared and he opened up a window, put in three different passwords, two security questions, and entered an ID number in. After a minute passed, a window enlarged. Then it buffered as his computer screen read: Logging on to Planetary Data Network…

Select Calendar…

The Digimon said, "Gregorian Calendar".

Computer: Current Time: 2035, March, 7th, 2:11pm. Digimon Time: 18,850.

"Now let's see... He told me to go to the I.C-S.A. History Foundation website…."

His fingers moving along the projected Haptic-Holo Keyboard, he looked outside and saw a familiar but still odd collection of buildings: Unusual designs, like a videogame company's headquarters shaped like a dragon's head or an apartment complex that looked like it'd been designed by a Cubist painter, that were custom-built with input from residents, semi transparent hotels that contained restaurants with lab grown food for human tourists, retro-futuristic buildings that included an indoor sports arena, a crayon box that housed a modern art museum, a steampunk inspired convention center, and a building at the center of the city-state inspired by Japanese and European castles that served as the center of government. These were set against a bright but sunless sky.

A strange sky that occasionally from one blue hue to another to another, with the occasional Cloud Electrostatic-Hologram that moved according to its programming. The C.E.H's were occasionally pushed back into place by Data-Type Digimon and other maintenance programs who seemed to be ready for a much-needed shift change.

Inside, the room a dusty multi-language chart on one wall over the room showed that evening was visually indicated by contrasting colors and early morning was indicated by complementary colors.

He looked back at his keyboard and at a holographic calendar on one wall and thought, 'I really need to update my technology. This keyboard is four years old. Still, the city-state looks beautiful today...'

"Alright, selecting Public Domain Records.."

Accessing..

Two minutes later, Task complete.

"Now to select Neo-Akashic Records Project." A red glove went across the holographic screen and selected a section marked Pre D-Reaper Crisis History.

His gloved hand then selected a video marked Digimon Tamers Special. A subheading read, Now with deleted scenes and historical reenactments.

After a few moments, the movie buffered and started to play.

A voice came out of the screen, the voice belonged to a VA named Yuka Imai. She was the narrator for the video and was well known in the Digital World and Earth as the Japanese and recently the English voice of Renamon. She said, "Digimon Tamers has long been a popular show with Japanese audiences, particularly with the reveal in 2020 that Digimon really do exist. The events of this program are well known to audiences but it is perhaps not as well-known, (particularly outside of Japan) that the events of the show are based on real-life events, and that the cast (with two exceptions), are real people.

Ruki "Rika" Makino is a well-known public figure, and a core member of the classic team of Tamers, called the Digital Generation One or DG1-Tamers for short. She is properly considered to be the first human to successfully work alongside a sentient Digimon program, though some scholars debate this. Therefore, Ruki is often referred to as the Alpha Tamer, and her popular partner is considered to be the most famous Digimon in the world."

The Impmon spoke to himself, "And she could certainly kick the most interesting man in the world's ass."

Imai then said, "Most of the information people have about her comes from the Digimon Tamers anime. However, the animated series did not feature her as the main character and left out many details, partly because it was the children's show aimed at little boys. The beloved manga contains more information and eventually features Ruki as the second main character and team leader but explicitly takes place in the Digimon Adventure continuity.

The first of three acclaimed OVA miniseries were the most accurate and descriptive but consisted of only 10 two-hour long episodes. The series featured Henry Jin Wong as the main character. It included many fictitious scenes, particularly during the third miniseries. As a result, although the public is aware of the basic facts of her life in connection with the Digital World, there are many gaps in our knowledge."

"This Special is an attempt by a group of concerned historians, interested writers, Digimon activists, the Makino family and the Combined Renamon Clan(s) to fill in those gaps. This was done with input from as many of the real-life people who participated in the historic events as possible. Where there is no historical footage, reenactments will be done with animation."

The screen then showed the words, Bandai Visual, the Makino family, Ledger-Book Investments, the Combined Renamon Clan(s), the Digimon History Foundation, The Artist Guild, and Digital Pictures present:

The History of the Alpha Tamer!

Part One:Rise of the Alpha Tamer!

Date: June, 20th, 1982.

Location: Research Facility, Iowa State University, United States of America.

One particular room contained a team of Japanese and American scientists. One of them, a blonde woman, was reading a novel. The woman had a name-tag that said "Dr. Jane F. Yamaki". Impmon shuddered briefly at the sight.

Imai said, "Dr. J. Yamaki was on the American team and a pioneer in the field of extraterrestrial biology. Her husband was Professor Yuka Yamaki from the Japanese team, and was an astrophysicist."

Renowned scientist Professor Carl Sagan is scanned the room. He asked Professor Susan Martin, "Is everything ready to send the signal?"

As Carl Sagan was speaking, Dr. Jane Yamaki closed her well-worn book, holding her place with a red paper-clip. The Impmon noticed the title of the book was "'Hypnos", "Yugth The Key", "The Tulip Juggernaut", and Other Horror Stories!"

Professor Susan Martin was trying to remain professional but she was having trouble containing her excitement.

She replied, "Yes it is, Professor Sagan. I haven't been this excited since I learned about the WOW signal in '77. Just say the word and Professor Drake and the others will send the message from Big Ear. I'm still somewhat surprised that you were willing to leave your projects and work just to be here."

"Good to hear, Professor Martin. I wouldn't miss this for the world, even with all the secrecy. There's still so much we don't know about what this mysterious diagram is and who sent the signal. Whatever reply we get should be both fascinating and informative."

Professor Sagan gave the command to send a reply. Three days passed and then, to the surprise of everyone who expected to wait years, if not decades, for a reply, they received an answer. A very odd one!

One of the younger members of the Japanese team in the Reply Duty group ran to the phone. "Prof. Sagan, something strange is happening. I think it might be a reply."

Sagan called both teams together and then went over to the strip chart recorder. This was where the signals the Big Ear receiver picked up were recorded on a roll of paper that unspooled underneath a recording pen. The printout was only supposed to show a graph that went up or down, however there were several distinct shapes: "A.B.C." and "E.N.I.A.C." Then Prof. J. Yamaki noticed else something peculiar. "Prof. Sagan, isn't the recording pen supposed to be black instead of dark blue?"

The distinguished scientist stared at her blankly. Then he looked at the recording pen; it was dark blue. Not only that but it was constructed differently. It looked like it could lift off the recording roll instead of staying in continuous contact and it could act like a dot matrix printer.

Some of the scientists began to mutter about this being the work of aliens while others were certain that it was a prank. Sagan looked nervous at the thought that there might be an alien civilization powerful enough to cause such a tiny and specific change from light-years away. Soon many of the other scientists also became nervous at this implication, even if not all believed it.

Prof. Yuki Yamaki's usually placid face grew tense with excitement.

The narrator remarks, "This scientist's son would go on to play an important role in Digimon history."

Pulling out a silver cigarette lighter and a cigarette of cheap quality, Dr. Yamaki started to smoke. A smug smile appearing on his lips, he began, "The chaos of this moment has dissipated as intellect allows us to remain in control. Gentleman, might the mysterious letters be only part of this message from the stars?"

Carl Sagan's eyes lit up with comprehension. "So you're saying that the altered recorder pen is part of the message or that we have a third "WOW" signal?"

"Both, actually."

He pointed out a particular series of signals that the satellite dish picked up. Everyone turned to look and as they did so, the strange looking recorder pen vanished. It was replaced by something familiar.

The Impmon paused the video, stared at the screen and spoke with astonishment,"I know I missed a lot of information when I first met the Tamers as they looked for Culamon but seriously, what's going on here?"

The Impmon hit play. The fractal code went to the nearest table, made space for itself by gently putting certain objects on the ground. However, the code dropped a metal object onto the ground, crashing with a strident metal clang. Everyone turned to the sound and saw something that made them shudder.

The fractal code turned into several objects in sequence. They fell on the table's surface. After a moment, they rose back into the air. The objects then floated through the air and circled the table, as though trying to celebrate in a way that broke the laws of physics. Finally, the objects combined and shaped into a single object.

The person with the camera took snapshots of the entire event. Then the printout stopped as electronic noises were heard and the lights flickered.

Strange and unnatural shadows danced upon the walls. They twisted fluidly, sometimes in mathematical precision, and they formed beautiful two-dimensional shapes. At times, the shapes were recognizable such as punch cards and trees, sometimes they became exquisite fractile patterns, tesseracts, Petrial octahedrons, and others in random shapes and chaotic patterns. After three minutes the performance stopped and a brief lecture began. The lights dimmed, and a cold chill dropped suddenly though the air and pricked sharply at their skin, followed by the sudden warmth and gentle caress of an ever shifting breeze. It was as though something ancient, powerful, and unreal had entered the room and had then tried to reassure those gathered that it was friendly and gentle.

For two seconds, a bizarre form appeared: a glowing and transparent ball of blue light covered by two slanted lines and embedded within 10 rectangular boxes (accumulators) covered in the outlines of advanced circuitry was seen before advanced, more fractal code appeared and formed into DigiCode.

The building vibrated as a booming mechanical voice called out in Japanese, "I am Antasafotrey, an ancient AI from elsewhere in the multi-verse. I and my two collaborators, "Yggsdale" and Enia-Act have given you a great gift. Even now it lies on the table before you."

The group of scientists looked at the strange device in the table, as another voice could now be heard. This voice was clear, precise in pitch, and seemed keenly interested in what was going on, "This device is one that you could not construct yourselves due to the advanced technology involved. I and my collaborators dare not give you the disruptive technology necessary to do so. Such technology includes quantum-based computers, impulse control systems, programmable matter, nano-tech, micro fusion power plants, long-distance wireless energy transfer devices, and meta-materials."'

The third voice spoke, its tone varying between exhaustion, fascination, and occasionally annoyance. It paused every now and then and occasionally seemed to be concentrating on something else worlds away. Its pitch varied between a loud mechanical whir and the quick squeak of a VHS tape being rewound. "If this technology were given to you directly, your civilization might collapse within a few years. Even if it did not, a wide variety of scenarios would occur resulting in your species becoming extinct or your entire planet being ruled by a technocratic dictator. Both have happened before, and we will not allow them to happen again. Our projects both currently under construction and completed are disrupted often enough as it is."

The first alien voice spoke once more, "You have enough problems to worry about as it stands. Our gift will eventually help you solve those problems, for your own creations will be able to create the technology previously mentioned without disruption. With their aid, you will prosper, see the full spectrum of beyond the petty binaries you currently know of, you will both learn and grow together, and your population what long last reach an equilibrium. Perhaps one day you will even march among the stars and meet others like yourselves. The device has simplified software you should eventually be able to understand.

In that light I would suggest two humans who are "uniquely" suited to the task. Two programmers named Rob McCoy of the Palo Alto Research Center and Mizuno Gorou of Neo-ARC Laboratories. They already show great promise and have worked together before at a recent "A-Life" workshop held by Prof. Christopher Langton.

Ah, the Butterfly Effect... So fascinating and yet so annoying to keep in check any event, those two humans have much work ahead of them. Including meeting the rest of their little group, I will see if we can arrange that to our satisfaction."

The third voice now spoke, "We have given you this device partly out of curiosity to see what you will do with our gift, partly because we made a promise to the great Builders to carry on their work, and partly because your universe is part of a backup plan the Group of the Unknown created."

"The maintenance of your new sandbox will be handled by Yggsdale and Enia-Act. Yggsdale will handle all aspects of artificial decay, necessary change, and keep this "Digital World" from crashing due to overpopulation. Enia-Act will coordinate, direct, and create rules for all maintenance functions in the new data world", spoke ever clear voice.

The first alien voice, "Though we can do all these things, there are some programs we cannot change because we do not know how. Perhaps someday the Builders will return and finish their work. Use the gift and the new world we have given you wisely, oh Homo sapiens. For if you do not, than the Dark Spores of Zeed or other threats may conquer whole universes or render them dead! For you will be as Frankenstein, a wild bunch of monster makers who could reject, abuse, or destroy your creations."

The third voice said, "You could also nurture your creations like Frankenstein never could and make them the pinnacle of perfection, giving yourselves chances to do greater things than you ever thought possible. "

Now they all spoke as one, "We do not particularly care what you do as long as you do not in-danger the system you create, threaten us, or try to ruin our other Digital Worlds and to a lesser extent their on-site caretakers. If you do any of those things, you will be most fittingly punished. Those divine, administrators have a social hierarchy. Though we have some enemies in common, they are busy and will only intervene through powerful agents. So be cautious about what changes you make, and treat our sandbox well."

The second voice spoke one last time, "I will be interested in how you make use of this power. Now I have my work to do and my collaborators have theirs. So I bid you farewell, humans. A.B.C."

The device glowed and vibrated as the room shook once more. Then there was silence.

The narrator spoke, "Later it was discovered that some of the film had been ruined. The scientists were badly shaken. But they were also very curious as to what it happened. They wrote down everything and the Sagan, Martin, and Yamaki Estates graciously granted the writers, writers, and producers access to their personal notes. In addition, there are also unpublished interviews with Sagan and the other witnesses from 1983-1988. They told their military liaison the whole story, only for the man to stare at them in disbelief. Realizing how crazy their story sounded and how little proof they had, they reluctantly changed parts of it in the official report.

Some of the scientists wanted nothing more to do with the project after their experience and left.

However, those who remained, realized that they might need to program the device. Fortunately, Carl Sagan and one of the scientists named Prof. Glenn "Jonny" J. Beckenstein put out the word to their colleagues about programmers needed for a special project. Sagan also suggested that considering the sheer gravity of the implications of this first contact that the main criteria for the team selected was their suitability for the project.

Beckenstein endorsed this suggestion that the team be selected to fit whatever the device was capable of and also stipulated that if possible it be composed of an equal number of men and women. Both men were ignored and instead two programmers named Rob McCoy of the Palo Alto Research Center and Mizuno Gorou of Neo-ARC Laboratories were picked.

On May 10th 1983, the device was turned on but seemed to show only a endless wire-frame landscape. The scientists were somewhat disappointed because the device seemed to be only a computer with a virtual-reality program.

As a result the Japanese government temporarily withdrew from the project and their scientists left. Carl Sagan, already deeply involved in his own projects and frustrated with his own government not taking the project seriously, quit as well.

However, he and Beckenstein did keep tabs on the project, even as the American team of scientists disbanded out of frustration and disappointment, leaving only the two programmers to work on the alien computer.

What no one realized at the time, was that the alien computer was more powerful than anyone could've imagined…

Because the two men spent much of that year at the Palo Alto Center and most of the extra personnel they needed came from Stanford University, they called the building that they worked and lived in "Palo Alto University".

On May 20, 1984, the somewhat bored programmers had an idea…

One said, "McCoy, I will say it if you don't..."

McCoy replied,"Say what Mizuno?"

Mizuno replied, "We've been working on this dull project for a year and a half and yet nothing has happened. Whatever secrets this machine has are not going to be revealed by us just fooling around with it. We need a plan."

The darker haired man frowned. "We don't have enough information to form a plan. The only information we have comes from the original report from that bizarre encounter with a self-proclaimed artificial intelligence that the original research team encountered. The whole thing comes off like a hallucination my mentor experienced during his experiments with LSD. What the heck did that weird alien mean by "our creations" anyway?"

The Japanese man replied, "Perhaps it was referring to artificial intelligences?"

"No matter how powerful this thing is, it's still not a capable of generating something so complex. As long as we have this thing, we may as well see what it can really do and fulfill our cover story at the same time.", said McCoy.

Mizuno looked thoughtful, "I've often been a fan of games where two players fight each other, however the graphics are so primitive… hmmm... With this machine we could easily create a better game. Where are we going to get the character models from?"

Dr. McCoy smiled and looked at a drawing his son had given him that day, "You know, even though my son is only 10 years old he's still pretty good when it comes to drawing. My wife's been understandably bugging me to spend more time with him, so I think it's a win-win situation all around."

Time passed and McCoy left for home. After he arrived McCoy looked at his watch and it said "5:11 PM. He then said hello to his wife put his things away and then went to his son's room. He lovingly patted his son on the back and carefully looked at recent drawing on the wall. However, he couldn't really tell what it was at first. His son was drawing another one and seemed to be "in the zone" as it were.

The new artwork was a fiery orange bird with long 'ears', great wings, blue eyes, and sharp teeth. It was labeled "Wingmon" and was slightly better drawn than the older piece on the wall. The proportions of the monster were understandably bizarre given the artist was a child, but it was more detailed than one might expect. For example, there was an orange egg clutched in its talons and two more could be seen cracking in the background.

McCoy was curious about the older design and frustrated, but he couldn't figure out what it was. A few moments later, his son paused to take a sip of water and his father tapped him on the shoulder. This got his attention , and his father pointed at the drawing on the wall and gave his son a puzzled but intrigued expression, "That drawing looks great, what is it?"

"It's a Tyrannosaurus monster dad."

His father gave him a teasing smile and said, "That's a bit of a mouthful isn't it?"

His son had a mixture of annoyance and amusement on his face, "That's what my friends thought when I bought it to school yesterday. So I started to call it a Tyrannomon for short. Mom says she likes the design and says, that I have talent. She's a 'graphic designer', so she would know. She wants to put some more drawings on the refrigerator and frame one for her office. So when Sam couldn't come over tonight I started to work on this one. She doesn't come more often and you're both pretty busy so I was hoping the two of us could have some fun but..." He seemed a little frustrated and lonely when he said the last sentence.

His dad gave him a sympathetic look and briefly hugged him. After the embrace ended, he said, "Would you like to go to work with me sometime?" The boy nodded eagerly and then his mother called for supper. The son left the room and the father stared at the drawing on the desk and then the one at the wall. A realization was dawning, he spoke aloud, "Interesting... A fighting game with monsters, that sounds awesome!"

When Saturday came around, McCoy arrived at work with his son in tow. The clock in their workspace showed that it was around 6 o'clock in the morning.

The narrator said, "Their work was secretive but was a low priority. A blonde-haired government liaison checked in on them twice per day. She had been assigned the job because she was able to keep the men focused on their goal. She was also willing to give them enough leeway to fully explore the computers capabilities, while also reining them in when necessary.

Earlier that week she had noticed that their morale was low and that they had reached a dead end in their research. She was all right for their current plans as long as they were cautious and focused less on designing the game, and more on fiddling around with the bizarre and seemingly counterintuitive computer. The son didn't appeared to be interested in their work at all, so bringing him to work was all right, and who would believe a little kid when he said that his dad was working on an alien computer?"

The son was shown to have brought his drawing materials, the two pictures he had finished, and a third that was under construction. He worked on that while the coworkers did their jobs and checked on him at least once every hour. After they had stopped their work on the computer ended, another discussion began.

The two adults were finalizing certain work-related plans, and the Japanese man was giving his colleague a dubious look as he looked at the two drawings. However, his colleague reassured him. It was currently 10 o'clock, and things were going well so far.

He then walked a few steps over to his son, who at first didn't pay much attention because here just finished the third the third drawing and was admiring his work. McCoy had a somewhat serious look on his face as he said, "Keith, how would you like to help me with my work?"

The child gave him a look of interest and replied, "The work you do is kind of boring and complicated. What do you need my help with?"

The Japanese man gave his colleague an uncertain glance and gave a smile to hide his concern.

"Your drawings. Could you make, ummm... Ten more of them?", McCoy asked.

His son looked nervous and uncertain, "That sounds like a lot of work, Dad."

His father smiled gently, "Tell you what, Keith. If you do three more of those drawings before seven, I'll take you to dinner, and then we'll go see a movie."

The child smiled at the offer and got to work.

"Four weeks passed and the game is ready to be taken to Bandai as per the cover story invented by the still interested Japanese government."

Mizuno Gorou put down the phone and looked dejected, "McCoy, I have some good news and some bad news."

"Tell me the good news first and then the bad news."

"The good news is that the people at Bandai love the fighting game. The characters and the back stories for them we came up with would make it a hit if not for the bad news. The bad news is that we have no idea how to replicate this technology, so we're going to have to come up with something else."

"Maybe this time we should just do something for own amusement. Unlike you, I am more interested in role-playing games than video games. For the moment I'm going to go to a game store and see if I can find a role-playing game I and my son will be interested in."

The clock on the wall changed and several hours had passed. "Hey, Gorou. I'm back with my son from the game shop."

"Did you find anything interesting?"

"Yes, I did," McCoy said. "Ever hear about a comic book series, Elfquest? Well, they came out with a role-playing game this week."

A thought suddenly hit him. "Say, do you think it would be possible take the character designs my son created and use the Elfquest RPG as a basis for a computer role-playing game? Sure, we probably can't distribute it but it would be all right for our own use, right?"

The Japanese man replied, "Certainly, but don't you need more than two people to play a role-playing game?"

"That's right. I think I know some people who might be interested in this kind of thing."

"And who would they be?"

"Just some students I know from the University. Three, maybe four. We'll have to see if she can find the time."

His son entered the room with his best friend in tow. "Hey Dad, what are you working on?"

"A new idea for a product that Bandai will like. A role-playing game based on the Elfquest one that uses the designs you come up with as the basis."

His son beamed at him, and after a few minutes he calmed down, and his face took on a pleading expression,"Say Dad, can Penny help out with the product design?"

His father smiled. "I don't see why not, son. After all, I'm kind of hoping that this RPG will appeal to little girls too."

The female narrator spoke once more, "Seven people met two days later, and the work began. Three weeks passed, Ideas were conceived and rejected, and a basic outline was formed. Then the programming was done. Two weeks passed and everything was ready. However, the team was being watched."

"Alright, now to input the first command, and...", McCoy said, fingers clacking against the keyboard.

"Huh? It's not working."

The screen flickered and then part of the grid formed an oval shape. Laser lights arced and raced across the computer screen and formed a human. A young man appeared with gray eyes and a long, thin nose. His spiked brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he wore a black skintight outfit with a turtleneck under a white coat with grayish brown accents. McCoy noticed the belt buckle on his black belt resembled a computer chip. He also found it odd that he had two different colored boots on, one white boot and the other brown.

The mysterious young man concentrated as he touched his belt buckle and ran his fingers along the circuitry. A window popped up on the device's screen. The window contained text, "Greeting Ningins... I'm a Gennai-type program and I've given myself the name Hajime Tsūru. I was created by the same AI that created this world. I am here to assist, mentor you, offer suggestions, provide warnings, and create a limited array of tools."

McCoy spoke out loud to the strange man but he did not reply. For a moment the programmer was puzzled but then got an idea. He attempted to reply using the keyboard and this proved to be successful. The former dolphin-researcher turned programmer then typed, "Hold on for an hour or two, I'm going to get the rest of my group." Then he went to fetch his colleagues, and after an hour they arrived and sat around the computer. Their expressions ranged from excited to nervous. The living program on the screen seemed to be bored, but waited patiently.

McCoy next typed, "Where did you come from?"

"A parallel Digital World that surrounds another matter-based reality complete with another planet Earth."

For a moment there was silence as the entire group read the message and stared in shock. After the group had sufficiently recovered, they talked with each other and decided upon a course of action.

McCoy typed, "More information please."

"Very well. This is the tenth such Digital World that has been created by the three AI's. That Digital World is intertwined with an interlinked system of computers on Earth. These computers are small enough to fit on a desk. Some of them are much smaller and they look different from the ones that will come out soon."

"How are you made?"

"From bits of data gathered together and given physical substance through an artificial version of the same particles, forces and, underlying strings that give your world its shape and form on the macro level."

"Are you based on any human?"

"Sort of, the name of my program-type comes from from Hiraga Gennai, a Japanese polymath who was a pharmacist, physician, and inventor from the Edo Period. My form is based on another inventor named "Gennai", the last original "Chosen Child".

"What is a "Chosen Child"?"

'They were human-like programs who became heroes when they and their companions banished a great evil. They were eventually succeeded by a second group of heroes who defeated threats that their predecessors couldn't. Then a third group came and defeated three more threats, sometimes with help from their predecessors. Apparently the term "Chosen Children" had been used before, but I'm not sure about that. According to legend anyone who goes to a Digital World and gains a program-partner there is called a "Tamer"."

He looked confused and concerned, "And how do they go to this kind of alternate dimension?"

"There are at least three different ways, you'll learn more soon enough. Besides, who said I was talking about a mere dimension?"

The programers still looked confused and decided to change the subject, "What are those other programs that came with you?"

"They are tools. Called Digi-Gnomes, because they are small and prefer resting underground. Also, they like to live in forests. When ordered to do their work they need two special dimensions called micro-verses. One filled with vast amounts of energy as a power source, another they can serve as an information gathering hub so they have the diagrams they need to easily create objects, lifeforms, and environments.

"Can we see a demonstration of how they work?"

"Yes. Observe your tools carefully."

McCoy watch closely as the collections of fractal codes begin exchanging information. Then after a few minutes they simultaneously formed support structures and strange tunnels with numbers. These structures and tunnels became covered by a collection of interlinked pixels which were finally covered by a layer of blue wire-frame that contrasted against the orange grid. The forms became abstract shapes and then a blob with eyes, and finally a roughly humanoid form with eyes, a mouth, and nothing else.

"Is that a Digi-Gnome?"

" other collections of data packets I brought with me will soon form into experimental programs. The programs currently have no permanent form and are intended to be used as tools. However, they soon will have a new form and need a power source in order to create data-based life."

"What are we supposed to do with them?"

"You are supposed to shape this world into a better more self-sufficient version of the worlds that were previously created by the AI's. Your species and the programs you create must adapt and grow side-by-side in a mutualistic relationship until you can reach the stars and all that they entail. This world is in part a depository of stories and information from across the Digital Multi-Verse.

"Digital Multi-Verse?"

"The previous data worlds made by the three creators. Each World have each been ruled by different beings. Half of them are Gods: Yggsdale02, Homeostasis 01, the deleted Yggsdale03, then Homeostasis02, Knight Leader Alpamon, Mono-Kami Yggsdale, Norn the Just Goddess, King Shoutmon, Yggsdale Next, Yggsdale 4, Witch Clan Overseer Dalhaka, Queen Qeinbell Yggsder the Redigiazer, Data Goddess Balerga, Cyber-Eden Adm. SatKam and C-Eden Hacker-Guards Aiba-Chan , the Three Celestial Digimon, Lord HolyAngemon, and several versions of the "Four Holy Beasts". Although, all of these beings are benevolent and wise, they are not nearly as competent as hoped, and many have been defeated or slain. As professional programmers who come from outside the digital system, you are in a position to provide fresh insights into the creation process. Also, you'll are more invested in the outcome than the AI's have proven to be at times.

They have used humans to fight their battles for them and there are some situations where that is understandable. However, they have become complacent, and need to solve their own problems. Chosen Children should be used only as an absolute the last resort, and even then they should have supervisors or handlers of some kind. Indeed adults would be preferable, the D.A.T.S World shows that this combination can work."

Another window appeared and then text in the same font and color as before started to come into view, "The first test of your abilities will be to give your tools a "skin" that is pleasing to your eyes. The next test will be a simple island. Followed by a landscape and structures for the island. Finally creatures to inhabit it. The designs your son made will do nicely. He doesn't realize it but they have several precedents, having been used repeatedly across many Digital Worlds."

Another window appeared and McCoy typed, "Ok, what do we need to do to create the skin?"

"Well, you might not believe this but it's all about math, fractal codes, light, electromagnetism, and interconnectedness..."

The narrator spoke once more, ''So the technical work continued until the floating island and its structures were complete and then the real work began. Gennai proceeded to give them an easily customizable digital simulation of a brain which was given several unique features, and ended up being different from a human's in some respects. It also gave them special programs but allowed them to create artificial nervous systems so their creations could feel. The first digital lifeforms were created over the next three weeks ."

"Alright, the rocky and barren island and the first digital lifeforms are set up. What's next?"

Another window from Gennai appeared,"You create a portal from here to your world. After that, the next phase of this project will begin."

"Creating a portal between where you are and I are is impossible. You're a virtual being. You don't exist!"

"Now that's not very nice. Just because I'm a program doesn't mean I don't have feelings."

"Sorry."

"That's all right. I have a thick skin... Some of those so-called "Angels" who send messages in-between the Digital Worlds are jerks.

"I already gave you all the tools you're going to need, just have the destination of the data import be the precise physical location of the computer, and connect to the computer to at least one other computer with the special formulas I gave you."

McCoy and his teammates discussed how they were going to do this for several hours until they came up with a solution. They borrowed one of the new Apple personal computers from some colleagues of theirs three days later. Once this was done, they created the software and five days later, everything was ready.

"All right that should do it and now we wait... What's going on here..."

The computer screen and the data it held seemed to warp and bend into an oval-shape that reflected the light and information all around it. Then something physically impossible happened: what appeared to be fog came out of the computer screen. After a few minutes, there was a bright flash of light and something appeared to be "bumping" against the fog. After several attempts, a strange slimy, oval-shaped creature covered in slick black fuzz with ears and glowing yellow eyes appeared.

The entire group stared at it in absolute shock, as McCoy said, "Is, that Botamon?!"

Chapter notes/extra ideas: The overall group they would come to be called the "Monster Makers", and the core group of programmers would be called the "Wild Bunch". Their creations would be called Digital Monsters or Digimon by the Monster Makers. However their co-designer, Keith McCoy called them, "Wild Ones who needed Tamers."

The cover story was that the team was designing a new franchise for a company called Bandai. Gorou and Babel had previously worked there for as programmer in 1979 and translator in 1978 respectively.

Wild Bunch Members:

Robert "Dolphin" McCoy, oversaw the project during its four year run, created the first digital field by accident, and named many of the locations.

Nathan "Babel" Freeman, designed communication devices to allow the team to talk to their creations, edited the mythology into legible text, and created the feared Dark Area and the eerie Dark Ocean.

Janyu "Tao" Wong, handled the communication language aspects, and helped design the mythology of the Sovereigns and certain Digimon, and provided historically valuable documentation.

Aishwarya "Rai" Bhat, a devoted worshiper of often misunderstood Hindu goddess "Kali" and occasional contributor to Mrs. Magazine. She has a bachelor's degree in sociology and a PhD in quantum theory. Provided input on quantum theory and digital physics, provided the inspiration for the five genders of Digimon, and named the last three "Great Civilizations".

Linda "Daisy" Pierce, a woman with a PhD in mechanical engineering, and a Masters degree in biology. Designed many of the internal structures in Digimon, designed the data recycling system, helped design many of the cybernetic or robotic Digimon.

Honorary Members:

Keith McCoy: designed most of the Digimon, came up the concept of Digicode and, named many of the attacks and weapons.

Samantha "Penny" Robinson: An 11 year old tomboy and Keith's best friend. She came up with the level-system, came up with many of the attacks, and came up with much of the early mythology. Also came up with the initial unused design for "Lunamon"/"Renamon".

Monster Makers: A rotating team of 12 mostly Japanese scientists and researchers who dealt with various issues involving sociology, ethics, linguistics, and the poorly understood nature of digital physics that was the last part of the world that was designed.


	2. A Fox in the Cards

**Author's Note** : So sorry! I accidently posted the wrong chapter and an unedited one at that. I'm really embarrassed about that! Here's the right one.

April 5, 1994, 2:23, Berkeley, California, Image Comics Headquarters.

A frustrated, scowling man with red hair and green eyes was cleaning out his desk, his nameplate read, "Frank Makino". When he was done, Frank took a moment to smile at a framed photo. It showed his younger wife, her mother, and a red-haired baby. The two women smiled, their purple eyes matching. Frank took the picture and carefully put it in a purple roll-on bag that went well with the dark green backpack he was wearing. He then checked his watch and muttered, "Ah, good. More than enough time to talk to Liefeld about my unemployment. Then I just need to wait a bit and I can make it back in time for dinner tomorrow night."

He thought, 'If it weren't for the fact that I'm unsure why I've really been let go and respected Liefeld's love of comics, I'd just punch him in the face and leave.'

A preoccupied man in his 30s walked past Frank on his way to another office and Frank grimaced with disgust. "Hey Rob, if you're not busy with 'another' deadline issue, could you talk with me for a second?"

The other man looked at his watch and seemed guilty. He said, "Alright, I've got the time. Just give me a second while I drop off some new concept art and script changes to my editor. Then we can go into my office."

Minutes later, the two walked into an office on the same floor. One marked, "Robbert Liefield, Founder and Prezident of Extreme Studios."

Frank said, "Rob. You said you liked my artwork and people are enjoying my take on your characters."

Rob sighed and replied, "You're right on both counts, Frank. Youngblood Adventures was and still is our second best-selling series."

Frank gave him an angry look "Then why am I being fired me from the company we helped found?"

Rob replied, "In the first place, although your artwork is good, it's not what people want to see according to the letters we've gotten from fans who love the story you told. Besides you don't understand why I created the character designs for the Youngblood team I did."

"Yes I do. Their homages to some of Marvel's best and most interesting characters. The seven issue miniseries I wrote reflects that! As do the origin stories of both the team's and its WWII spiritual precursor's."

Rob replied, "Yes, they are homages to the Marvel characters I grew up with, but they are also their own characters with their own back stories, and in spite of your best efforts, you didn't understand that."

Frank spoke,"I do. That's why I made a one-shot prequel comic released shortly after I joined this company two years ago."

"I know about that, I read it last year. At the time I was more focused on finances and figuring out how to deal with various delays in printing issues of Youngblood."

Frank sighed, "If you wanted to read my work again and have me explain something all you had to do was ask. Do you want a quick recap of the backstory?"

Rob nodded, "Sure."

Frank took a deep breath and said, "The prologue comic established Team Youngblood characters and backgrounds before they were intentionally given powers through classified alien technology. It was only after that during the first issue that I revealed the back story. Detailing how the first superheros were alien abductees who were given superpowers during the 1940s. They then captured two spaceships from the aliens and used them to thwart an 'apparent' invasion of earth.

Some were then inspired to save lives on earth by Golden-Age comic-book superheroes like Captain America. Youngblood is the 2nd or "Next Generation' of superheroes. Their looks and costumes intentionally modeled after Marvel superheroes."

Rob groaned, "Your prequel had so many footnotes it look like a novel instead of a comic book."

"Rob, that was me immersing my readers in the world, having those footnotes made it seem real", said Frank.

Frank replied, "So let me get this straight you're firing me because I argued with you just once, because I can't really draw in the popular but lazy style you helped create, and because a single book I wrote didn't sell well?"

"I'm firing you for all those reasons and the fact that you don't get along with folks here in some ways. You're a good artist and a nice guy but I think the manga market in Japan might be a better fit for you. I think it's time you went back there to spend time with your daughter and wife anyway. You haven't seen them in a year and a half."

Frank looked thoughtful, "It would be nice to see them again. Still, I already tried to write manga in Japan before I came here when you gave me this job offer. I want to continue to work here so I can bring my kid, my wife and her mom over here because I don't really fit in over there. None of us do. The best I can do is write and draw so-called "light novels. Not something I really enjoy."

Imai the narrator, said, "Frank's wife was still working two jobs and when her shifts end, her mother had to go to work. They were raising his daughter in between their work shifts, and he didn't mind going back pitching in but as the Japanese saying goes "The nail that sticks up, needs to be hammered in."

Rob looked guilty and unsure, "Frank, I've got some contacts down there from all the conventions I've been to and that one time I tried to convince Marvel to license some manga and met with various publishers. I'll see what I can do about getting you some work and maybe you're work will get noticed at that Comkat convention."

Frank's eyes lit up, and he asked, "You'd do that for me?"

Rob said, "I can't promise you anything but I'll try. I still think that manga and Japanese cartoons are going to make it big sometime this decade, and Japan will need every good artist and writer it can find."

"Alright, just remember that if you do anything with the versions of Youngblood I created I get royalty fees as per the contract we signed."

Rob said, "Um, right Frank... That being said your last paycheck is going to be delayed for several months for various reasons."

"What!? I hope you put those characters to good use... Rob."

"Don't worry, Frank, I will."

As Frank walked out, he looked disappointed, worried, and still a bit angry. Just outside of Rob's earshot, he muttered, "My daughter deserves better than to have her father fired on her mother's birthday."

After Frank left Rob then realized something, "Wait a sec... Did he just call me lazy?"

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2 years later...

"Hey Rob, Greg Weisman is on the phone. He wants to do something with the Youngblood idea and loves the miniseries."

"Weisman... Isn't he the guy who did that comedy-adventure show with the Gargoyles last year?"

"Yes, their female leader had such a weird name like Golith, or something... Anyway, he wants to collaborate with someone named Joseph Whedon on it."

"Who is that?"

"I think he's the co-writer of Toy Story... He just said that he is working on some kind of TV show where a cheerleader fights vampires with help from a witch and the witch's wife."

"Weird premise... But hey if he's good let them work on a script."

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April, 6th, 1994, 5:57 at the Makino apartment.

The apartment was Western-style, this meant that it looked like a typical American or English apartment as compared with a more traditional Japanese one. This being said, there were several unique Japanese touches like reproductions of traditional Japanese paintings, flowers arranged as per the traditional art of flower arranging, traditional Japanese mats called tatami, the statue of a raccoon and a 'lucky cat' against one wall, and a few other things as well.

A woman with dyed blonde hair in her early 20s wiped her brow and looked exhausted, "Phew. I'd thought Ruki would never get to sleep."

An older woman looked up from the book she was reading, and said, "I still can't believe the talent agency keeps insisting you dye you're hair blonde. Just because your still stuck specializing in modeling Western-style clothing and your husband is a foreigner.

It's insulting to your husband and his culture, and it's just plain silly. Over the last seven years I've gotten to know him, he's a decent man. Like my husband and me, he sometimes a bit too competitive and stubborn, but he works as hard as either one of us to take care of my granddaughter."

The front door to the western-stye apartment opened, and Frank Makino entered the room. When he saw his family, a weak smile appeared on his lips. The family matriarch put the paper down and stared at him in surprise and concern. She thought, 'what is he doing here? He should be in his hotel unless... Something went wrong... Why am I always the last one to know?!' As she watched the next few events unfold, her face went from a frown to shock and finally to severe concern. His wife ran up to hug him and he gladly returned the hug.

She gave him a worried look and asked, "What are you doing here, honey?"

He hesitated for a moment and then replied,"Rumiko, I have some bad news."

His wife stared at him in surprise and then frowned, "What is it?"

He took a deep breath and replied, "I've been fired from Image Comics."

His wife looked saddened and shocked, and her mother groaned in annoyance as she realized that she was right. Her eyes darted from the baby's room to the family checkbook. She whispered what seemed to be a prayer concerning the family's finances and future.

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April, 7th, 1994, 6:43 in a Shinjuku-Ward phone-booth.

Frank dialed home, "Hi dear. Don't worry I'll be home soon. So for the last two days I've been trying to get a job from several American companies that translate manga and English. They said they already had all the translators they need. I also offered to create an original English manga. While some of their agents here expressed interest, they said that there wasn't enough consumer interest."

His wife sounded disappointed, "What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know... However, I promise you that I'm going to find some kind of job even if it means ghostwriting for other manga artists and writing light novels with not nearly as much creative freedom as I would like."

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Jun, 6th, 1994, 1:14 at the Makino apartment.

"Let's see with the mail has today... YES!"

"So we have good news, dear?" Rumiko said with a hopeful smile.

"You remember how I told you that the 'Gridman' TV-show was going to have a sequel show? While it turns out that they're going to do a sequel movie instead. The movie is apparently going to be called Gridman Sigma, and I'm going to write the script! Maybe they'll even want me to do a manga tie-in!"

"That's wonderful, dear." She said, matching his cheer, as she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss on his smiling lips in celebration and relief.

"Even if the movie doesn't do so well, it will at least give us a decent paycheck and it might lead to future writing jobs."

The grandmother had allowed her daughter and her husband their moment of happiness and had gone to a small private shrine in her room. The shrine contained a wooden figure of an androgynous looking person in white, smiling contently. The statue was standing upright and was between two equally androgynous four-legged fox statues. She started to pray...

30 minutes later, she went back to the room. The woman looked at her son-in-law sitting on the couch already at work. He was jotting down his initial thoughts and notes when she asked, "When you write the script, could you do me a favor and put something in it?"

"Um, I don't know, that's been a recurring issue in the past with my work. Still, I'm willing to listen to your idea. What is it?", he asked.

"Well, you know that I am a worshiper of Inari Okami, right?"

Frank nodded.

"What you might not know is that I see Ianri as an androgynous deity and not as a bodhisatta in that context like most do. I am considered to be eccentric for this. I see the androgynous aspect as being natural for any being who can become both man and woman.

Surely, they would seek a form that balances out both natures? I'm someone who believes that Kitsune walk among us as messengers of Inari. So I'm sick of seeing those messengers being portrayed as malevolent in mythology. Therefore could you please give this Gridman Sigma an androgynous being for a crime-fighting partner?"

"Hmmm... Well, I was looking to add one more character to give the heroine someone to talk with while Todo and Sigma deal with their guilt. A digital fox that fights crime, an odd but awesome concept. I'll see what I can do."

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The next scene was a clip from the movie "Gridman Sigma", the Impmon watching the documentary was temporarily confused, and paused the video. Then he looked around in the hopes of triggering a memory then he remembered something. "Ah, that educational film, documentary, and podcasting seminar and workshop I want to last week. According to city-state and general Digital World law, nonprofit films, biographical documentaries, and instructional videos may use any piece of media that is at least 25 years old. The "Great Trademark&Copyright Scramble" was a weird time..." He then un-paused the video and watches in in fascination as the scene unfolds...

A physically fit Japanese woman in her early 30s inspected damage done to the wings of a strange looking green car. She wore orange and black armor that said "Hyper-World Police", and wore a gun belt with a yellow pistol inside a holster at her side.

"It seems that Sigma-kun is as impetuous to defeat Khan Code-X ay, Datun-kun?"

Next to her was a mostly orange, aside from its white ears and paws, blue-eyed anthropomorphic fox wearing similar armor that was yellow and purple.

"I'm as anxious for this assignment to be over as he is. I can't wait to get back home and see my husband and our little girl before Hiroshi and his band go on tour again."

"How is she doing anyway Datun-kun?"

He chuckled loudly," We've been partners for nearly fifty Cycles, old friend, you can call me by my first name sometimes. She's aright but that attack sacred her badly."

She looked fearful and curious, "I heard something about that, but I don't know most of the details."

Datun sighed and looked regretful. He said," Four days ago, our little spitfire was walking home from school and heard her friends' crying out in pain.

They were being beaten up by a hired gang of seven older bullies and their 'Computer World' allies who hacked her phone. After her calls to the police were jammed, she stood up for her injured friends. Those coders fled when they learned that one of her fathers was both a cop and a retired messenger of Inari.

The bullies were less intimidated. They were stupid and did not believe my daughter's claims. Those fools really should've realized that any kit of mine is taught how to protect themselves. Much to my horror they were being paid by one of Code-X's clients at his request. I was this close to stopping their big crime, and my replacement was killed in the line of duty in a daring robbery. Key files, equipment, passwords, impounded loot, a bunch of evidence, and public's trust were stolen and the case went cold."

The woman looked horrified, "That sounds awful, Datan."

"Seiko-chan, I never got to thank you for helping out that while I was busy with a difficult undercover assignment."

"It was my pleasure... Kazumi-kun."

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May, 10th, 1995, 6:35 AM at the Makino apartment.

"Here's your coffee, dear."

Frank looked up from at the book he was reading and said, "Thank you darling."

The book was entitled "A.I's, Zombies, and Us: Consciousness for Non-Philosophers" by Robert Kirk. The book had a sticky note that said, "Script Research. Interesting book, glad I bought it. The fox in the movie is a conscious being not a p-zombie so on to other books."

The Ruki said, "That movie we went to last night was so awesome daddy!"

"That's good to hear, I worked hard on my part."

His wife said, "I'm glad things turn out so well. Particularly, when you said you were having trouble with the script."

He sighed," The script was easier to write than to research. Apparently, the director had the crazy idea to film the fight scenes before I wrote the script. That made my job easier, though I would've preferred some more creative freedom.""

"Anyway, you did such a good job with the script, Dad."

"Thanks, Ruki-kun."

"Anata, you're confusing her again."

"Honey, it's a nickname I gave her after she requested that I call her "kun" as a gag. Besides, there's nothing wrong with her being a tomboy."

"Well, as long as it's only a phase."

He sighed, and whispered to his daughter, "I don't mind if you wear a dress or pants as long as you wear something that Mommy will like every now and then. What you wear doesn't matter as long as it's practical and fits with where you are and what you're doing."

The child looked confused and change the subject slightly, "Um, OK. So what did think about the movie overall?"

He had a bemused look on his face and as he replied, "I thought it turned out pretty well. Though I'm still somewhat surprised they kept the reunion scene between the Fox and his husband at the end."

The girl grinned excitedly, "The fox-cop was cool too."

He frowned in disappointment, "To bad programs like that will probably never develop consciousness like we have. Still I suppose they could make routines that mimic emotions and pain."

"Dad, what is consciousness and why can't computer programs ever have it?"

"Alright I'll explain that, but please pay careful attention to what I'm saying, ok?

She nodded and he said, "Consciousness is our awareness of the environment we live in through the five senses that send the information as harmless electricity to our brains through a long series of special cells called the nervous system. A program is just data or information. It wouldn't be able to sense its surroundings without some kind of sensors and wouldn't be able to touch anything without a body of some kind."

"Dad, I'm getting bored and confused. Can we please change the topic?"

"Um, sure. Anyway, I'm just disappointed that there wasn't a manga tie-in to give us some extra yen."

The Narrator said, "Frank was working at a construction site in the day, and spent at least part of his time working on novels at night. His wife isn't really doing any better. She wanted to be an actress or executive. However, she was stuck being a model, and not even a famous one."

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May, 10th, 1995.

The man kept drinking his coffee and finished it, and then he saw his child off to school. The last thing he said to his daughter was, "Ruki, I know times are hard but you shouldn't give up. Fight on like the rest of our family is doing. Do incredible things or don't come home at all."

When she was gone, he muttered, "I've been writing so many trashy light novels, I think they're starting to effect my speech."

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May, 10th, 1995, 4:11 PM at a uncompleted high-rise building.

Frank glanced up at a steel beam being lifted from one side of the building's currently three-story tall skeleton. He was on the ground, next to two other men. They had tags on their work jackets that said "Akira Fuuga" and "Eiji Hongo".

Frank,"You know Akira, I think there's something wrong ether with the machine or the person at the controls."

Akira looked tried and give a short yawn,"Huh? Ow, my head hurts. That drinking game with co-workers last night was not a good idea."

"The beam is wobbling. Our forewoman Izumi looks nervous and she wants him to stop..."

Hongo looked sick, "I knew we shouldn't have taken on two sifts last night, my left leg still hurts and you look like you need an extra six hours of sleep."

The crane jerked to a sudden stop just behind the three men. The impact jerked the cable backwards, casting its shadow over the two men for a moment before the cable broke and the beam started to snap!

Frank cried out,"The beam..."

The two Japanese men were pushed back and as a great crash was heard. The two of them fell on their backs. Several workers rushed to help them. Fortunately, they were largely unharmed and the beam had narrowly missed them. Everyone onsite now scrambled to help lift the fallen beam as another machine was brought in to lift it.

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May, 10th, 1995, 4:23 PM at the Makino apartment.

A voice came from the once ringing phone, "Hello, Mrs. Rumiko Makino?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"This is Police Officer Fukumoto, ma'am. I think you want to sit down for a sec."

The woman raised an eyebrow in surprise and replied, "I'm already sitting down, officer."

There was a pause for a moment as the officer tried to collect his thoughts, "There's been an accident...

Your husband was killed at about 4: 14, by a falling steel beam."

The young woman stared into space in shock and then said, "There must be some mistake officer, I just saw my husband a few hours ago before he went to work."

"We found his ID in his pocket. We have two witnesses on the scene. We are still investigating what happened here, but I'm sure of one thing", said the officer gently.

"Yes, what is that?"

"Your husband was a very brave man. He died saving the lives of two of his fellow workers. He's a hero."

The woman slammed her fist onto the table next to her in grief and anger,"That baka! He grew up with superheroes, and lived his dream in the States for a full year and a half. Writing stories for the talentless hack of an artist who fired him, and then lied to him about his contacts in the publishing world here. My husband said he always wanted to be a hero... But did he have to become one like this?!"

She dropped the phone in stunned disbelief and grief, her grandmother picked up the phone and said something to the officer before putting the phone on the table. For a moment there was silence as the tension seemed to build up, as did the documentaries music.

Finally, the music came to a climax and the realization hit her. There was a pause and the woman started sobbing, her mother rested a gentle hand on her shoulder and started to shed a few tears herself. She muttered, "He was in some ways a hypocrite, but I've never seen a man trying so hard to inspire others to do good things."

Later that night, the grandmother went to her shrine and prayed,

"May Inari's Fox messengers guide his "essence" well. From his journey to Yomi, and then on to the sacred hidden realm known as "Takama-ga-hara", where all Kami dwell. May he become ether a guardian spirit to watch over this humble family, or go to blissful "Ama-no-Iwato"."

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Mar, 16, 1956. The apartment of a struggling blonde haired model and her mother and daughter.

A long-haired redheaded girl sighs and puts down a pencil and notebook. She looks annoyed and stares down at a cast that covers her left leg, "Baka leg! There goes my baseball career for the rest of the season. Wonder what's on TV?"

The opening of an animated show started, and a large cyborg with clawed feet stepped out of the shadows. The girl stares at the screen, "Is this a Robocop rip-off or..."

The show's logo appeared on the screen as a police siren fallowed by triumphant sounding electronic music played. "Digimon: Cyber Guardians!"

She looked puzzled and muttered, "What the heck is a "Digimon"?"

The music played on for a moment and then the girl's eyes snapped open in amazement, "Did that female angel just punch out a T-Rex? Rad! OK, I'm watching this!"

When the show went to its first commercial break Ruki was started for a moment by a familiar noise. The grandmother opened the door. Literary looking in on her granddaughter after presumably noticing her sorrow and anger earlier in the day.

Runiko asked, "Honey, if your bored then why don't you play Shogi with me?"

Ruki looked annoyed at the interruption, and replied, "Why bother? I win most of the games. Maybe I should play professionally when I'm older. Anyway, I found something awesome to watch."

Runiko frowned, "I would prefer you not watch television all day. Why don't you try writing some more poetry or enter that newspaper short story contest?"

The girl looked giddy, "Oh... Good point. Cyberpunk-cop tale here I come... During the rest of the commercial breaks that is.."

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May, 11, 1997, the apartment.

Rumiko came rushing into the room. "Mother, mother! I have great news!"

The older woman looked at her, and gave a smile, "Yes, Rumiko, what is it?"

"You're looking at the new model who's going to be the centerpiece of a new fashion line. Between this and all the opportunities it will bring, plus the out-of-court settlement with the construction company where going to be very rich! Maybe my acting career will finally take off as well!"

The dark-haired woman gave a genuine smile of joy and hugged her daughter.

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July, 18th, 1997, same place.

A red-haired ten year old girl wearing a red shirt and blue shorts sat down in front of a television. She crosses her arms, and grins like a thrill-seeker about to get into a jet fighter. "Hey grandma you want to watch some shows with me?"

Seiko said, "I'll watch any Mahou Soujo" shows you have... That being said, I don't understand why you've watched all these anime shows every Saturday morning." She looked perplexed, and then gazed at her granddaughter in curiosity for an answer.

Didn't look like she was surprised by the question and had subsequently put a lot of thought into her answer, "Dad told me that he was inspired to be a writer and artist by the cartoons he watched and the comics he had read when he was a child. Apparently he told mom that he wanted to spend Saturday mornings watching cartoons with me, just like he did when he was growing up.

He also wanted introduce me to American comic books and and the magical girl shows that you and he bonded over. American comic books are hard to come by here. So the best I can do is watch cartoons and good Mahou shoujo and turn that into a enjoyable ritual that helps me get through the week."

Seiko nodded in understanding, but then asked, "That makes sense, but then why are you watching episodes from around two years ago?"

"I picked certain American cartoons and one or two anime shows from 1994 because they are fun, have cool music, and as I short story writer I think their well written. I'm watching one or two anime shows from then because I find them, love the designs of their uniforms/costumes, and like the characters."

The grandmother looked at the clock and it said, "7:00". She them replied, "I'm going to get some breakfast, do you want some to?"

The woman got up and her granddaughter nodded in agreement and mentioned what she wanted. The matriarch returned with a traditional Japanese breakfast for herself, steamed rice, miso soup, natto, and a rice porridge called okayu. The redhead had miso soup, with delicious seaweed, that had been dried in soy sauce, dumplings, grated cheese bits, and ground beef. She also had a bowl of cereal with strawberries, sliced bananas, and umeboshi, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), with a glass of apple juice. They sat down on the soft carpet with their respective dishes, and the girl reached into her pocket to take a look at a list she had made of what they would be watching.

Let's see what's on today's schedule for Saturday morning cartoons...

Ah, new episodes of Akazukin Chacha, Phantom 2040, Sailor Moon S, Batman: the Animated Series, "Digimon: Cyber Guardians", "Swat Kats"..."

She paused for a moment, and thought, 'Warner Bros moving the show's third season the Cartoon Network makes it harder to get. Fortunately, my dad still has a few friends in the US, including at Cartoon Network.'

Her annoyed frown continued as she verbally went down the list, however, when she got to Rayearth she cheered up again, "That weird post-apocalyptic Digimon OVA, a filler ep of "S3" of Pirates of Dark Water I haven't seen yet, Magic Knight Rayearth, Denji Sentai Megaranger, and of course a 'new' ep of "YOUNGBLOOD!" (fist-pump). Ah, bootleg video tapes, what would I ever do without you?"

The last show Ruki and her grandmother planned to watch was ending. Her grandmother asked, "Ruki-chan , I've noticed that in spite of my suggestions you never bring any of your friends home. I really think you should."

The girl scowled and looked at the floor, "For the last time, please, grandma, I prefer being called "Kun" over "Chan". Anyway, I don't have any friends. Though, having some would be nice, I suppose."

"Ruki-ch... Ruki-kun, to the other children find you intimidating, or there something else wrong?"

Ruki sighed, "That's partly true for some kids. Some don't like me because I'm rich, and think I'm a spoiled brat. I've tried to discuss Digimon with the boys but they are either not interested in that franchise, mock me for liking the shows, think of me as a bully because I accidentally hit somebody in the face with a baseball and tripped a jerk who picked on other kids because the teachers didn't believe me."

"Ruki-chan, that is being a bully. Fighting to protect yourself from physical harm is one thing, but deliberately hurting another human being is wrong, even if they are hurting others. It will only make things worse... I should know. I tried that once when I was a little older than you are, it didn't end well, and it nearly made me become part of a vicious cycle of pain."

"The girls think I should be more feminine. They want to change who I am, just like Mom does sometimes, and though I did try some new things, none of them were things I enjoyed. They stopped talking to me after I got one of them and a boy "honmei-choco" for White Day. The one I gave the girl was an accident. That overworked woman must've wrapped the wrong box. Both groups seem to think I can't be interested in shows for both boys and girls."

Her grandmother had a concerned frown, "Children can be cruel and you're going through a tomboy-phase so of course you like things for boys. If they can't look past all those things that make you unique and see the wonderful and kind girl I know, then it's their loss."

The show had ended and Ruki now looked sad. Her grandmother looked puzzled by this. Ruki then walked off. When Ruki was out of earshot, she muttered, "Great, even my own grandmother rejects me. I'm not coming to her with a problem again."

"Besides, even though they won't admit it, most of the kids and even some of the adults find me weird for simply being part-gaijin. Dad, why did you go away?" Ruki cried bitterly.

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Apr, 5th and 8th, 1997, the apartment.

A determined Ruki walked up to her mother and grandmother. "Mom, grandma. I'd like to go Comiket this year."

Both women looked unsure and puzzled.

"Comiket is a major anime and manga convention. I've got a tasteful but rad cosplay outfit in mind, some books and a graphic novel to read while I wait in line, I know what merchandise I'm going to get, I'll research to figure out what panels I'm going to go see, and whose autograph I'm going to get, and I'm really hoping to make some friends at the convention."

Ruki's mother said, "I'm not really interested in that sort of thing, and work keeps getting busier and busier but maybe my mom could take you."

Seiko looked thoughtful said, "You know, I've always wanted to read a Mahou Shoujo doujinshi, And maybe I can get an autograph from my favorite manga artists out of it. Who knows, maybe I'll find some of the panels interesting and make some friends."

The date on the calendar said "April 8", and the matriarch of Ruki's family was looking at a list of panels, convention restaurants, and and a schedule of what she and her granddaughter wanted to do. The schedule was divided into three horizontal columns, one for each day. Lunch for the first day was blank. The table also held a paper with a double checklist, the names of both on the checklist indicated that the grandmother and granddaughter would divide their research work between the two of them.

Ruki finished looking at a newspaper of a restaurant at the convention. She picked up a detailed diagram of a simple but effective cosplay. At the bottom of the drawing were the words "By Seiko Hata". Ruki compared it to a poster she picked up from a table near the chair she was sitting on. It had two sets of figures on with the words "Data-Senjin Sentai Wingmon & Digimon: Cyber Guardians".

Both sets of characters wore uniforms, one military and one police with some cyberpunk embellishments.

The mostly human military characters (one was a anthropomorphic Tailmon and the other one was an ever-calm Renamon in the main cast and several Data-Senjin others) all had certain pieces of clothing in common. They all had blue long pants and long sleeved shirts that ended just before wristbands, simple but futuristic looking yellow goggles, wristbands of various colors that were seemingly covered in, buckles around the leg that were engraved with the UN symbol and a vicious looking Birdramon that appeared to be the team's symbol, steel toed boots that resembled string-less converse sneakers, gloves, broken blue-heart patches on their left breasts, color-coordinated short-scarves, gun belts and guns, knives and sheaths, small communication devices, protective body armor, and wires or sensors that covered their clothing. Each male and female human figure was of a different race and some came from more than one ethnic group.

Ruki turned to her grandmother and asked, "Grandma, can I use a dull knife for a cosplay prop?"

"Hmmm... Alright, dear. What kind do you need?"

Ruki looked thoughtful for a few minutes and then said, "I'll need the knife to be engraved with the same alien symbols from the show."

Her grandmother thought for a moment and replied, "Back when my husband was in Noh Theater one of the prop blades he was using broke and he went to Eiya, the prop master, about this problem. After he suggested that my husband go see Eiya's sister who made knives for a living, the two men struck up a friendship. I think I still have his number in our appointment book."

"OK, that sounds like a solid lead."

Her grandmother went to get the appointment book and came back sometime later. The woman looked pleased and said, "I found his number and I gave him a call."

After her grandmother got off the phone," What did he say?"

"He says that his sister now runs the business but doesn't actually make the knives anymore. She has an apprentice and trained employees to do that for her. Apparently the apprentice has received a job like this once or twice before and she'll be more than happy to help."

Ruki smiled widely. "Rad, grandma."

The older woman rolled her eyes, "I'll never understand where you got that word from."

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Aug, 14, 1997, Tokyo Big Sight Convention Center.

After arriving at the convention center by train, Ruki began the long wait in line with Seiko, her grandmother. Seiko was not in a costume but had warm cloths and a blue carry-on bag filled with four books among other things, and was reading a particular novel now.

She occasionally muttered about getting up at 4:00 AM, and how crowded the first train was.

Ruki now looked at the Comiket catalog and had other things to read: several Digimon manga volumes, recently purchased "Mahou Shoujo" manga, two thick American graphic novels, and three Sailor Moon light-novels. She occasionally glanced at and often wrote in a small notebook with the English words "Potential Story Ideas and Story Outlines " on the cover.

She also had a big carry-on bag containing her costume, an autograph book, a small list of Doujinshi 'Circle' authors she was interested in, a map of the convention floor plan and a city map, extra yen for emergencies, and other things. Ruki wore a heavy blue sweater, a thick yellow jacket with green hood, purple gloves, comfy looking white pants for cold weather, and heavy white and yellow boots.

Right in front Ruki was a young man with brown hair, bright red eyes that were likely contact lenses, a red shirt, white pants, and yellow armbands. A woman with a similar hair color stood in front of him and appeared to be his mother. Behind Seiko were three men dressed in cheap looking storm trooper outfits and one of them complained about their high costume budget and whether this made their latest endeavor worth it or not. One of the others made a pointed comment about an ID badge.

They went into the entrance and saw a sign with a yellow arrow that said "NatsuComi 52, this way please."

Granddaughter and grandmother walked carefully though the thick crowd towards the door indicated by the sign and then as they entered the lobby Seiko said, "Ruki, do remember our discussion about getting lunch?"

Ruki replied, "Yes, the reviews of the convention restaurants make them sound alright, but I also know we don't have to eat here today. I think I'd like to sample a local restaurant this time."

Seiko said "Well, I did some extra research just to be thorough, and in case we either didn't like the food here or were unable to access the restaurants for some reason. I've read there's a good sushi, kelp, and squid restaurant that's nearby this convention center."

Ruki smiled softly, "That sounds goods, I haven't had seafood food in a while. What are you going to do in the meantime, grandma?"

They were now in the thick of the colorful and packed con. Posters, over-sized anime and manga characters, prop displays, big overhanging signs, wood cravings, fan-artwork, a few object and food venders, men and women consplaying countless famed and little known characters, balloons of many shapes, busy staff and guards running around, rare light-novels and other artifacts in glass cases, cardboard cut-outs with bright words on them, photos being snapped every other sec, and for just a moment the two Makinos soaked it all in and stared in awe.

Seiko seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by everything but was also very curious and enthralled by their surroundings. On the other hand, Ruki seemed to be filled with pure glee and giggled loudly for the first time in months. These were in some sense her people, she felt like she belonged here. She knew she would find a true friend here!

Seiko spoke, as she did so her eyes twinkled at the wonderland before her, "Anyway, for the moment I'm going to look around the East Exhibition Hall. Maybe I'll buy or commission some Mahou Shoujo artwork and manga."

Ruki smiled and checked her watch, "Alright. I have about 67 minutes before the first panel I want to see starts in the West Exhibition Hall. I'm going to use my extra time to meet with other Digimon fans, maybe I'll find some friends at last."

Seiko spoke, "We'll leave to eat at 12:30, and come back at 1:40 for the "Shoujo Kakumei Utena" panel. If you give me your map I'll mark the location for you so you can find it. If you get lost don't hesitate to ask the convention staff for help."

"Sounds fine by me. How about once we're done with that panel, why don't we like take a look at the doujinshi for while?"

Seiko's eyes lit up for a moment as she thought about what new stories fan-writers and artists came up with about Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, "As a Sailor Moon yuri fan, and a fan of those characters in general, I have to say that sounds like fun."

"Then I'd like to take a look at the merchandise before we go to the last panel I want to attend today. We'll probably both enjoy it, the panel is called "Digimon 101".

Seiko frowned slightly and said, "I'm not a fan of the show or most shounen shows for that matter."

"Well, if you want to understand why I enjoy the Digimon shows so much, it seems like that panel would be a decent introduction to the franchise. Even if you're not interested, I want to attend anyway because I want to know if I should check out the first animated special and one or two Digimon OVA's and TV series I've haven't seen yet."

The grandmother gave her granddaughter a thoughtful smile and said, "I'll think about it."

Ruki then said, "So we'll rendezvous below the big hanging tapestry of Sailor Moon. It's next to the large Tailmon balloon. The one that's nearby for cardboard cutout of the gundam with the beam-saber."

"Alright, but we should have an auxiliary meeting place just in case. Hmmm... We don't have that many permanent displays to use as landmarks, so let's try something else. Maybe we should meet either outside or near one of the changing rooms?"

Ruki replied, "It's easy to get the changing rooms confused, so let's meet at the taxi terminal."

"If something bad happens, I'll try to contact one of the security personnel. They'll come to get you. You do the same if your wallet gets stolen or something else happens. Also remember, though I know you don't brag about our wealth, I want you to be particularly careful with all these people around. It would be all too easy for someone to take you away just by impersonating a police officer. So if a cop or security person approaches, ask for identification before you go with them."

"Grandma, I can understand why you're so concerned and I'll try to be careful, that being said I am wearing steel-toed boots and carrying a seemingly sharp knife. Besides, I still remember some of those judo move you taught me. Bye, Seiko." Ruki smiled and waved at her.

Her grandma waved back. "Bye, Ruki-kun"

Ruki walked away and the woman spotted a colorful poster for a judo-manga panel. She sighed happily as old memories surfaced, 'It's been a long time since I was part of my college judo team. I was good and my future husband was better, I lost interest and he broke his arm.' She walked away as someone kept a close eye on her.

Ruki went to West Hall Four and West Hall Five where the panels were. The space outside the panel room was filled with people, many of them wearing merchandise or costumes. Ruki walked around for a few minutes and looked around for Digimon consplayers, people who recognized her outfit, folks with her favorite franchise's merchandise, or people who had Digimon fan-works.

Two people were watching her. They were both males in their early 30s, they were slightly more muscular than your average Japanese male. They had sunglasses, black suits, green and purple gloves, blue socks, white shoes, green and red ties, white pants, and ludicrously large wigs with mutton chops that curved upwards and then went down to a point. There was small nameplate on the top of left side of their suits.

The one with the blue hair had a nametag that read "Joseph K. Furuseth, the Boarding Master ", and had a cheap necklace shaped like a grappling hook around his neck. The other nameplate read, "Joseph Devine of the Press Gang" and the man carried an antique camera around on one side of his arm.

One of them looked nervous and the other one flashed him a reassuring and confident smile, inadvertently drawing attention to his scar that started at the top of his left cheek and then went down at an angle and ended at the underside of his cheekbone. The man muttered, "Only a little while longer, and all three of us will be 235,960,500 yen richer and that sexy model will be barely middle class. Then I'll sweep her off her feet heh, heh, heh..."

Then other people, besides "Devine" and "Furuseth", started talking to Ruki...

One 30-year-old man consplaying as Rurouni Kenshin looked impressed. "Nice outfit. It's simple but effective. Anyway, what's your name and were are your parents?"

She bowed, "Makino Ruki, sir. My grandmother is in another part of the convention..."

The two of them talked for about 10 minutes before someone else joined the conversation by walking over and saying hi. The person was also a 30 year old man, introduced himself as the Rurouni Kenshin fan's brother. He was dressed up as Lina from Slayers and sometimes checked on his teenage son who was laying on a bench reading a manga. The son was dressed as Amelia Seyruun from Slayers and was reading a Digimon doujinshi. One called "Renamon's Wife in Blue Snow". It was a yuri-doujinshi with a SFW cover, something Ruki didn't realize at the time.

The man dressed as Lina give a warm smile and complemented her, "Nice attention to detail, did you make that yourself?"

Ruki blushed and replied, "I came up with the design, bought a custom-made uniform and made some additions to it. However, my grandma drew it, and my mom made some modifications herself."

She then pulled out a dull knife and showed it to her two admirers . They and another teenager who walked up as she drew her knife out and seemed to be impressed by it. The father asked, "Did you get that detailed knife from Red Matrix P&E or from a smaller outfit?"

Ruki nodded, "I got the knife from a small family run shop founded by a friend of the family. They did a great job, and as you can see, it's show accurate. That's partly because I want to enter the costume contest, I don't think I can win best costume, but I do think I'll be able to win best prop considering the amount of detail put into the prop itself."

The man dressed as the Slayers character commented, "You must've paid a lot for it."

Ruki shook her head, "I got lucky, the knife came at a discount as long as my mom recommends the company to whoever hires her. My mom is an aspiring actress, and my grandmother says that she's got the talent for it. Sadly, neither one of them really understands why I like Digimon or other action shows." After that conversation, the teenager and the one on the bench started to talk with the father occasionally chiming in.

A third person, a 12 year old boy dressed as Senbei Norimaki from Dr. Slump, bowed and then spoke. "Hi, I'm Chiba Yasuo AKA "Donbe". I'm a Digimon fan too. What's your fav show or manga in the franchise so far?"

"Well, the first Digimon anime I ever saw was "Digimon: Cyber Guardians", however the first story I really got into was a one-shot manga called "C'mon Digimon: The Capering Monster BUN."

The boy looked puzzled, "Huh? I've never heard of that one before, what's it about?"

Ruki smiled widely, she was glad to finally found someone was willing to listen to her talk about her favorite franchise, "That's probably because it was an special tie-in manga released several months after the official manga adaptation of the original Digimon animated special. It's set in the same universe as the "Champion" manga but it wasn't heavily promoted and didn't sell very well, so it's fairly obscure."

"Then how did you find one?"

Ruki had mixed emotions on her face as she replied,"The only reason I got to read it was because my grandmother bought it along with three other Digimon manga volumes as a gift shortly after my career as a baseball pitcher ended after only a month. I was pretty good too... Blasted Hong Kong brat! Anyway, the backstory in the 'Bun-mon' manga is pretty neat.."

The older boy appeared to be thinking of something to say and replied, "So um, what is it?"

"The manga is set 23 years before 2067, the year in which the "Champions" manga and animated special takes place. The backstory is that in 2045, recently commercialized technology has created very realistic moving holograms that can come out of a compact projector.

This technology is used by a corporation to create digital battle monsters whose fights are made realistic through special effects and, to those who can afford it, a form of nano-tech called a Unity Fog gives them some degree of mass. Monster fights are a popular activity in a particular class in Japan. The Digimon come out of a special computer called a "Dock", and unlike in some of the animes they have names."

"OK, so whats the plot?"

"The plot is that a kid named Makoto is one of the best Digimon "Tamers" in his class, and he tries to figure out why one of his classmates named Kentarou is so fascinated by pets and death, and why he seems to hate animals. Kentarou then becomes the main character after the first three chapters and has to figure out how to defeat a cool and creepy looking Digimon named Dreathmon and his owner Shin'ichirou."

Donbe said, "Sounds interesting, even if the plot sounds kind of basic."

Ruki nodded, "True. But that's not the reason why I like, I enjoy the story because I sympathize with the antagonist and like him better than the main character. The main character is dull, a bit stupid, blandly designed, doesn't develop as a person, and just isn't an interesting character. Shin'ichirou's a bit of a jerk for most of the story, but once you hear his back story you start to really sympathize with him. And he kind of has a point that the main character is identifying with his Digimon too much."

The little boy looked thoughtful, "He sounds like an interesting character. Can you tell me anything else about him without giving away too many spoilers?"

"He's also right that Digimon in this continuity aren't artificial intelligences and because they can't actually feel pain it's fine for him to treat them "badly" as it's a game, in spite of how seriously his classmates take it. I guess I like him because I agree with his view of Digimon and A.I's in general and I like his personality better than the other characters."

Donbe asked, "Do you have crush on this guy or something?"

"I've never really thought about it before but that might be the case. Say do you want to enter the cosplay contest on the 2nd day? We could 'pose' as a couple or something?"

The young boy looked intrigued and conflicted, about the idea.

"Um, Ruki, I don't know about that. My mom might be an issue, she's been keeping a close eye on me ever since I kissed one of my classmates on White Day..."

The redheaded girl regarded him with sympathy, "I understand how you feel. I accidentally once gave my chocolates to an admittedly cute girl. I've been picked on ever since. I never quite understood what the big deal was with liking somebody of the same gender. If you like someone and there's a chance they might like you back, then go for it."

Donbe blushed, "I know what you mean."

"Anyway, as for your mom, she can just talk to my grandmother."

The boy was still uncertain and replied, "I'm not sure that will work.."

Ruki made some flirtatious gestures she had picked up from her mother but almost never used. "Won't you do it please? It really sounds like fun."

Her fellow fan blushed her when an angry voice said, "Stop that at once, you disgusting, Yank!"

Both young children looked embarrassed at being caught like this and because of the women's behavior. The woman was wearing an employee badge and give a protective glance at her child before staring at Ruki like she was a femme fatale trying to seduce her son. Said his son looked very uncomfortable. The woman said, "I won't have some lowlife from a yaoi or shota manga corrupting my only child."

Ruki, looked annoyed and said, "Ma'am, for your information I'm a girl cosplaying as a boy, perhaps I've been a bit too successful."

Her friend's eyes shot wide open, and he gave her an embarrassed and somewhat hurt look as his mother said, "Ha, a likely story. There are no little girls here, and I can't imagine why any one of them would want to dress up as a boy. Also, you're not with your parents. Go run along and find them please. And if I ever see you with my son again, your parents will be hearing from my attorney." She then figuratively dragged him away.

Ruki dejectedly walked back to the three friendly cosplayers she had met earlier. The three of them were gone, leaving a very frustrated little girl behind.

She pouted, "Sesh, can't a hot blooded young girl get a break?"

Extra Content:

Non-Canon deleted scenes: "Frank, your last book was canceled after only one issue because of poor sales."

He snorted, "I was given the most incompetent editor and letterers in the world so half the book couldn't be read, the characters were bland and uninteresting, and the character designs were just copy and pasted from Youngblood. You wanted wanted me to draw lots of bodybuilders! You know I'm not good at that."

Rob said, "So what if it was a bad book on a tight release schedule? You refused to do a second issue, and we spent hours that night yelling at each other because of just one artistic decision I made!"

"I refused to sexualize the sole female Japanese character because I've got a four-year-old girl back in Japan! I asked you to let me include a second female Japanese character so she can have another role model."

Rob sighed again, "I understand why you did that and although I'm still angry with you, the decision was yours to make. Still, you can't just add in characters just because your daughter needs another role model, and it would have upset the team dynamics. That makes the comic even more difficult for the writing staff to deal with. Besides what's wrong with some eye candy for our audience?"

Frank looked annoyed, "Our audience includes both men and women Rob."

"Women don't want to read our comics, Frank, there just aren't that many tomboy's in this world.

Frank replied, "A woman or little girl doesn't have to be a tomboy to enjoy comics Rob. Anyway, I hope my daughter grows to be one. Because, in spite of what your artwork claims, spines don't work that way.

There are enough helpless, really feminine, female characters out there already, and disgusting artwork that turns women into sexual objects. That's the sort of thing my neo-hippie and feminist parents raised me to despise."

Rob raised his voice, "Stop taking things so seriously, superhero comics are supposed to be entertaining and sometimes have deep stories that inspire boys and teens to help others."

Frank did the same, "I believe that superheroes are inspirational figures to 'both' men and women Rob. That inspiration calls us to tell good and inclusive stories!"

Rob and Frank paused, "Lets calm down Frank... High ideas are fine but sex sells and this is a company for artists and creators who want to tell their own stories and make a profit in the process."

"Sometimes it's not enough to admire heroes or good characters, you have to be like them in order to inspire others." -Maddie "Sureshot" Parker. "Digimon: Cyber Guardians" AKA "Cyber Guardians: Japan". Episode 23 "Officers, Be The Heroes We Need!

"In order to end jealousy and loneliness you need to have your own achievements and find your own friends so you can do great and fun things together." Araki Shigeru, Episode 36 of "Data Senjin Sentai Wingmon" "A Meeting Between Old Firends."

I actually think it's better than the original special because it has greater space to subtly fleshed out all the characters and their motivations and the Digimon look more menacing and realistic. The fight scenes also seem to be better choreographed and everybody gets to contribute to the plot more, and the virtual world is more visually interesting."

Music for the forth story in the "Alpha Tamer&Partner" series:

Mysteries abound in this Digital World we'll see, foes all around but we'll go fearless and free.

I give you hope, you give me love, that's how I live.

My courage won't fade, dear Tamer.

When you are with me, our enemies will never win.

We once fought for power and glory, so we could live to tell our story. This card decides our fate, evolution is our bond.

My courage won't fade, dear Digimon.

Now we don't fight for glory, instead so humans&Digimon can live to tell their stories!

Don't let the red sky of a black intruder defeat you.

I am here to teach you how to live and how to fight.

No Mon ever dies, we will rise again! But different than before... That is the joy of return and the sorrow of departing.

Don't stop, there is so much to see now, let your partner take a bow so you can go on living.

Friendship is something we'll both learn, like a D-Arc it is the gift that keeps on giving.

As you ride upon the wind, remember of the lion, the Instruments, and all lives lost, including our own.

Tamers, we'll be back someday, Partners, you've saved the world we say.

Change comes from the smallest to the largest, may our Cyber Guardians stand the tallest!

Behold Ruki Mankino, the Alpha Tamer!


	3. A Shocking Sight at Comkeit

Chapter 2: A Shocking Sight at Comkeit.

AN:I used Yahoo Finance's currency conversion-rate calculator and it seems that in 1997, 94,360 yen was about 800 U.S Dollars. Note that in-story the Makino family's net worth in that year was around two or three million Dollars. In late 1999, it was 5,000,000$ due to Makino Rumiko's acting career taking off. Her first film is mentioned at the end of the chapter, I based it's name off her ringtone "Boléro". When I heard about the ringtone, I asked myself, why did she chose that piece? So I had it be her first major, though non-staring, film roll.

By the time Ruki starts being a Tamer other two family member's will be busy with their and blind to what Ruki is doing. Granted where they live is nice and safe and kids are often unsupervised in Tokyo, and Ruki can mostly take care of herself. Still, she is something of a free-range chicken and I may have Renamon help put out that fire later on and give Rumiko a cover story about why Ruki is out at odd hours.

* * *

Ruki was still looking for Digimon fans and then she spotted someone. The boy who had been in front of her in the long line! The boy was arguing with his mother, and she was winning and he looked increasingly frustrated and sad.

"Mom, I'd really like to get some Digimon related merchandise, at least a coffee cup or something inexpensive but useful."

She shook her head, "No, Takato, going to this convention was more expensive than I expected and we only have so much money."

The boy raised his eyebrows in puzzlement, "But you and Dad keep saying that our bakery is making a decent profit, so does that mean we have extra spending money?"

His mom had a small twinkle in her eye's as she boasted, "It means we can buy better equipment, hire more staff, and maybe even buy our own truck, instead of having to rent one to make our deliveries. I and your father may get to spend a bit more time with you as well and we can go more outings like this."

Hearing his mother's lengthy explanation, Takato was increasingly consumed by shame and looked at the floor.

The woman gave her a concerned look and then tried to reassure him, "Besides, I already got you those goggles because you told me they completed your costume, and I bought you two other gifts. One for your birthday and one for a reward for doing a good job on your next major test."

Then Takato realized something and said, "Wait... If that's the case then why did you buy all those volumes of that weird "ecchi" cooking competition manga?"

The woman turned pale, "You saw that? Takato, get that look out of your eyes. I raised you too well for you to blackmail me. Besides, your father already knows about the series. He recommended it to me because we both like stories about cooking competitions and he liked the main story-arc in this series. Sigh, he's just going to be mad I brought seven volumes at one time. Still. They were on sale, cheaper in bulk, have been out of print for three years, and I was going to give them as a gift to your father on his birthday next month. We're trying not to spend so much money right now so we can build a better life for you."

Takato looked shocked and horrified, "Wait, you mean we're broke?"

His mother sighed, "No, I did not squander our profits. I simply used up most of our allotted convention money. So be thankful for what you have and try and make some friends who will keep you safe from bullies and whatnot."

Takato looked so disappointed, and on the verge of crying. "Mom, you know I'm really good at drawing... I was going to tell you this but one of the doujinshi artists said that she would tutor me in drawing and maybe take me on as an assistant in her next project if I bought some stuff from her and worked hard to improve my existing skills. How am I going to achieve my dream if I don't find somebody to mentor me?"

Ruki regarded him with sympathy and walked up to him and his mother. She bowed and said, "Excuse me ma'am, I'm Makino Ruki and I couldn't help overhearing this problem and I think I have solution."

The woman understandably looked skeptical and somewhat suspicious, "You were spying on our conversation?"

She smiled warmly, "When you play baseball for three months, you become good at understanding context and body language. Besides, your problem is simple and has a simple solution.

Anyway, I'm here with my grandmother, and before we came to this convention, we worked out a budget together. We wrote down different categories of things we were going to need to buy, such as food, cab fare, what kinds of things we like to buy and take home from the convention, and so forth. I'm not really interested in merchandise, so I'm willing to cut the merchandise portion of my part of the budget in half to give him the money he wants."

Takato's mother looked concerned, "There is no need for you to do that. We can get by just fine on our own. I need to teach Takato that he can't have everything he wants. I should know. I wanted to become a forensic accountant but I ended up working at the family bakery instead. The job is fine, the smells are wonderful, and I love working with my husband but it's not really what I wanted to do for a career."

She reached into her wallet and pulled out several yen notes worth about 94,360 yen. "Nevertheless, I think you should encourage your son's drawing talent." And then used some sleight-of-hand in order to slip it into the woman's hand. The woman stood up from her chair and stared at the money in disbelief.

Then the woman became somewhat frightened and uncertain,"Where did you get all of this money from?"

Ruki walked over to the woman and whispered, "Maybe you've heard of my mother, Makino Rumiko?'

The woman stared at her, "The well-known fashion model? Wait, are you trying to tell me that your mother is one of the richest and most beautiful women in Japan?"

Ruki nodded and pulled out the newer of two photographs she had in her wallet. The older one included her dad and the other was where her I.D would have gone and was taken last year. Both were personal favorites of hers and her mom.

The mother was still puzzled and came up with an excuse to send her son away so the two of them could talk in private. When Takato left, his mother asked, "Why are you helping my son out?"

Ruki smiled, "I felt sorry for him. In spite of my recent advantages, life hasn't always been so easy for me and my family. So I know what it's like to have to pass up an opportunity to fulfill a dream. With hindsight, it hurts more than I thought it would, so I'd like to help at least one person fulfill a dream of theirs."

Ruki paused for a moment and thought. She spoke,"That being said, for all I know, the artist who said that they would mentor your son is lying to just make some yen. If so, I'll set up a sting and she or he will go to prison. If that happens then, maybe my grandmother can teach him. She's has training as a theater-scenery painter but prefers to paint portraits or landscapes as a hobby. Perhaps I and Takato can write and draw some good stories together. Sigh... For all the potential to tell remarkable and inclusive stories that this convention has to offer, at least some people can be remarkably unaccepting of others. Besides, I think he needs a friend here as much as I do."

As Takato returned from his errand, Ruki said, "And who am I to leave a fan of the franchise I love hanging?"

The boy looked pleadingly at his mother, and asked, "Mom, can we please keep the the money that nice redheaded boy gave me, please?"

Ruki gave him an angry glare, "I'm a girl, idiot!"

Takato's cheeks turned red and he bowed his head in embarrassment, "I-I'm so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Ruki thought for a minute and then sighed, "Aw he... Heck, why not? I suppose it could be considered to be a condescending complement that I look androgynous enough to pass for a boy. Just like the character I'm portraying in this cosplay."

His mother frowned, "Takato-kun, I'm not certain about this. What if the transaction is some kind of attempt to take money from you?"

Takato gave his mother a baffled look, as though he'd been so starstruck by his potential mentor and enthralled by the idea of learning from a self published manga artist that it hadn't occurred to him that the other person might not honor the agreement.

Ruki whispered to Takato, "Your mom can come with me for a sec, and as the richest person in this room, I'll see about having a security guard on standby just in case."

A few minutes later, Takato explained the plan to his mom and she replied with a slow nod. Now the young boy looked relieved and turned to face his new friend. Ruki was then somewhat surprised when he hugged her, and after a moment, she hugged back.

Takato then waited for a minute talk to his mother again, as she and Ruki than went and found a security guard and told him about the situation. They then returned to the brown-haired boy who had finished drawing a Terriermon and was now drawing an Impmon standing triumphantly on a dead but cartoonish Leomon.

He smiled in excitement, "So officer, are we going to going to go to see about that deal I made in a few minutes?"

The guard shook his head sadly, and said, "Since you haven't actually made the transaction, I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do."

Takato and Ruki stared in shock and the boy's mother groaned in annoyance at the anti-climatic ending and the time wasted on this wild goose chase.

The security guard continued, "Even if something had happened it's your word against the artist, and you didn't sign a contract with him or her so there's no visible evidence of any wrongdoing."

Ruki whispered several American and Japanese words that would have gotten her grounded by her mother had she been there. She looked like she wanted to punch a hole through a wall or jump from one building to another, preferably with a satisfying crash as she touched the roof.

Takato wasn't angry, he frowned and seemed both embarrassed and sad.

The officer gave a sigh and gave a comforting smile as he said, "Your best bet is to put this event behind you, socialize with your fellow fans, go to whatever panels you want, buy the merchandise you like and can afford, and just have fun in general."

Ruki went for a five minute walk to calm down.

The officer then smiled and said, "By the way, my shift will end in about 20 mins. I'm looking forward to that fan-panel that Hiroshi Izawa, Chiaki J. Konaka, and several others are hosting."

As the man left, the tomboy came back, looking calmer. Takato asked, "So Ruki, do you want to talk about the Digimon franchise?"

Ruki grinned with a bit of excitement, "Sure, Takato-kun, do you have a specific subject in mind?"

The boy looked thoughtful, "Not really, Ruki-chan. I'm just glad to find someone who likes it as much as I do."

Ruki smiled but was silent for a minute. Then she looked annoyed, "Me too. Still..."

Takato looked puzzled,"What is it?"

Ruki sighed, "Please don't call me "chan". I prefer the "kun" honorific. Anyway, do you have any friends who enjoy the anime series at all?"

He shook his head and went in to more detail, "No, I don't Ruki... Kun. I go to Yodobashi Elementary School in Nishi-Shinjuku."

Ruki's mood brightened up, "Ah, so you live there too. My school is the "Megumi Kudo" Elementary School and I think it's nearby yours. It's has a bully problem and the teachers can turn a blind eye to some pretty bad things. Still the other kids are nice, if a tad dull."

Takato smiled fondly, "I'm on good terms with most of the people in my class but I only have two good friends, and a girl named Juri I hang out with sometimes. She's nice, but a little odd."

Ruki looked intrigued, "OK, who else do you know there?"

The boy remembered something funny his next friend had said, and replied, "My friend Kenta-kun only likes card games and the "Digimon Pendulum". He's a kind goofball, fellow Digimon lore nerd, strong willed guy, and a general card-game fan."

Ruki nodded, "You have a third friend?"

He briefly frowned, "My other friend Arata has been hanging out with a jerk lately and only likes two of the OVA's that my parents think are too violent for me to watch. I still had to secretly see them at his house for the sake of completion, drawing ideas, and school yard bragging rights."

Ruki nodded slowly and looked somewhat grossed out by certain memories, "I can't say I blame your parents, the "Scavengers" OVA includes a lot of sometimes graphic human and Digimon deaths."

Takato nodded and then looked disgusted.

Ruki took a deep breath, "Still the writing was a good, and most of the deaths were not cheap but furthered the story and you got to know who people were before before they "left" the OVA. I liked the characters, and their abilities. I also thought that the world was unique. The ending was bittersweet, satisfying, and surprising."

Then he asked,"So, do any of your friends like the franchise?"

Ruki gave the floor a faraway and melancholy look. Then she spoke the desperation and bitterness in her words made him feel momentarily helpless and uneasy. She then turned around. "Who would want to be friends with me?"

More silence followed and Takato smiled replied,"I would Ruki!"

Takato then hugged her. The only thing that kept her from slamming her fist into his solar plexus was her utter shock at his action. After a few moments, she got out of the hug. She turned to face him and her face showed confliction. It was like she wanted to hug him back but was also deeply annoyed that her personal space was being violated. In the end, the loneliness won out and she hugged him.

He muttered, "I think I'm lonely too. Are the people I hang out and have fun really my friends even though I have little in common with them?"

Ruki gave an amused smile, "Maybe but how do you know you have much in common with me? And you probably shouldn't talk out loud like you're doing. It'll drive people nuts and make them think you're a super villain."

Takato blushed, "Sorry about that, I think I watch too much television."

Ruki giggled, "I think that makes two of us."

He looked at her surprised, "Wait, if you're supposed to be so tough then shouldn't you be angry about crying?"

Ruki looked thoughtful, and said, "Several years ago, my dad worked for an American comic book company called Image Comics and wrote a popular min-series called "Youngblood Adventures". At the end of the third issue, he put the following words in a dialog box: 'When showing sadness or being feminine is considered to be weakness, it takes real courage to cry. Because this is so, there is something very wrong with both our gender ideas and the very inflexibility of normality and vulnerability.' Besides, not dealing with a problem or emotion will only make it worse in the end."

Takato seemed impressed, "Your dad sounds like a wise man, and that manga, um... comic sounds interesting."

Ruki give a warm smile and said, "I think my dad was wise in some ways. Anyway, my mom bought the trade paperback of that miniseries, its prologue, and five extra stories based on unused scripts and covers my dad did, three years ago those stories continued the adventures of those characters. My dad's former boss Robert "Old Rob" Liefeld, even went to the trouble of finding a decent female artist to draw those stories. I'll be glad to lend it to you if you want to read it."

Takato smiled back, "Alright."

Ruki cleared her thoughts for a moment and then said,"Anyway, the kids at school only have a interest in that ongoing "C'mon Again, Digimon" manga". I can't believe that dumb manga is a sequel to the "C'mon Digimon" AKA "Camping Monster BUN" manga. There's so much wrong with that thing, it's like a jigsaw puzzle filled in with pieces that do fit but aren't right.

Takato sighed, "True enough. There's little to tie it into the prequel and that's kind of unknown anyway. The plot has more holes than a Connect Four grid. The antagonist is dim and dull. The Digimon are sometimes poorly drawn, and their attacks and Alt-Modes don't always match their themes or what "field" they're a part of. The recurring characters are boring and act stupid half the time, the script needed a better editor, some of the splash panels could probably use some work, there are half a dozen continuity issues from one installment to another, and the main characters were either an antihero or ineffectual. The whole thing just comes off as rushed and made by someone who doesn't care."

Ruki looked angry and replied, "What makes me angry is that in contrast to all the other parts of the franchise is that there is not one person I can identify with who is the same gender as only female characters are a stupidly reckless and boastful jerk, a wuss who is spoiled and scared of monsters, and the useless, bored, fight-loving, and tomboyish main heroine. She has never won a single fist fight in the whole manga so far and keeps getting knocked in monster battles out so the boys can look cool and act manly."

Ruki clenched her fist and thought, 'I know how she feels, I hope I never feel as powerless as when I broke my leg. Blasted Tai-Chi demo! I picked a fight with that Wong-jerk. Coward just ran off instead of ether helping me up or seeing how badly I was hurt.'

Her new friend backed away a bit, and said,"I guess that's true. Though, I didn't pay much attention to the female characters because they didn't have partners until two chapters ago."

Ruki took a moment to calm down. Than after apologizing to Takato, she replied, "I can understand that many writers wouldn't think that girls would be interested in this franchise, but the reason why they didn't have partners was just sexist nonsense. On the bright side, it has a new writer after old one was fired five chapters ago, things may be looking up at last. "Recons never felt this good!" indeed."

The boy groaned at the quoted pun, "The art still sucks though."

Ruki smiled again, "Still, I thought what they did with the Digimon was interesting though."

Takato clenched his fist in anger, "Digimon are not interchangeable fighting machines who need to be "tamed" by force before they kill their Tamers! Shinichiro was wrong! they also wouldn't participate some kind of stupid tournament for the pleasure of overpowered rich jerks!"

Ruki blinked in surprise, "Wait, how did you find out about the C'mon Digimon" manga? The guy at the shop said that it was fairly obscure."

Takato chucked at the look on her face, "Juri has a copy, her step-mom likes Hiroshi Izawa's work and Juri thought Bun was cute. Mrs. Katou bought it for both of them. Juri's dad is half Korean and runs a small tavern. He buys her all the Digimon cards she want because she collects them, who knows where he gets the money for them. He's rich, kind, strict, and a bit shady."

After a few minutes had passed, Ruki thought. 'Time for a calm rebuttal, I just need to make sure this argument stays friendly. I don't want to get into a shouting match and lose my first real friend.'

Ruki backed away slightly, "Actually, I think the part about them being "fighting machines who need to be tamed" was realistic."

Takato's jaw hung open in shock, "But Digimon are our friends. They would never hurt us. The stronger the bond between Partner and Chosen Child, the more powerful and cooler forms the Digimon gets!"

Ruki nodded and replied, "True, but that's just silly plot device to move the story forward. I should know, I'm a short story author. Even if there was a real Digital World, why would any person program such a weird and haphazard thing in? But, that's not the point..."

Takato looked annoyed, "Then what is the point?"

Ruki took a deep breath and explained, "Apparently there's concept in philosophy called a "philosophical zombie". It's a thought experiment. A thought experiment is a scenario intended to test how a philosophical idea will work. In this case, it's to prove an idea called "dualism". The dualism is the idea that mind and the brain or rather mind and matter are two separate and independently existing things. A philosophical zombie looks and acts like a regular human being but its brain would lack a mind. That means no conscientious experience, no soul, no ability to form mental representations of reality, and it wouldn't have true free-will or compassion."

Takato looked a bit angry, "What are you saying?"

Ruki smirked, "That Digimon would be philosophical zombies in real life."

Takato's anger ended and was replaced by puzzlement, "Could you please explain in that last point more detail?"

She enlightened him further, "In nearly all parts of the franchise, a Digimon is an battle program in the shape of an animal, anthropomorphic being, a concept or object. They may only become tangible in the physical world through a mechanical or data-based body."

Takato was still puzzled and asked, "What does that prove?"

The tomboy smirked and moved in for the kill in their debate, "That realistically speaking actual Digimon can't have a mind, but they could have a bionic brain or a data-based one. So they could only imperfectly mimic morality and empathy with the proper programming. Digimon wouldn't have a sense of ethics or compassion. Their "fight or flight" subroutines would mean that they would never willingly sacrifice their lives unless they were programmed too."

Takato looked stunned and confused, "Huh?"

Ruki continued her argument, "They can't have morals and can't feel empathy. They might have a "code of honor", a "Three Laws of Robotics", or some other kind of subroutine to ensure that they obey and don't harm their masters. Their "fight or flight" subroutines would mean that they would never willingly sacrificed their lives unless they were programmed to."

Takato looked shocked, and replied, "Most of the franchise shows that Digimon can have empathy and compassion. With the exception of two mangas, they have been consistently depicted as having empathy, ethics and a consciousness. They consistently fight alongside humans against various threats. They are often but not always depicted as the "Champions of Boys and Girls." Plenty of Digimon sacrificed their lives and many humans did the same across various continuities."

Ruki gave a triumphant smile, and replied, "I'm not talking about fictitious continuities, I'm talking about real life. Digimon would fight to become stronger because that's what their programmed to do."

Takato said," My mom is a sci-fi buff and she says that at the rate at which technology grows Digimon would eventually gain consciousness once we develop quantum computers that can work together to simulate a human brain."

Ruki replied, "I don't believe that computers are ever going become that powerful. I remember something about quantum neurology, but that chapter of the book I'm getting my information from was over my head. I don't want this argument getting out of hand, and we're both pretty passionate on the subject. I'm getting bored with this argument anyway. Let's just agree to disagree."

Her new friend thought for a moment and then nodded in silent agreement.

Ruki then said,"After all, if Digimon were real, I'd find a really strong warrior and help that Digimon to become an unstoppable fighting machine. I could become the strongest "Tamer" in the world. That being said, I wouldn't go out of my way to abuse them. There's no sense in being cruel to animals."

Takato sighed, and said, "Let's just change the subject. How many Digimon shows have you seen?"

"I've watched two shows fully, seeing the original special twice, and seen the "Scavengers" OVAs. The opening to "Warmon" was rad! Seeing that Renamon fly a jet plane and fire missiles at that over sized Metalseadramon and then have it blow up. While an electric guitar plays… Wow, that is the best possible way to get a first-time viewer's attention. Also, it helps get someone who's watched a bunch of episodes pumped up for that week's part of the story." She squeed in excitement.

Takato grinned and replied, "I know, right?"

Ruki asked, "So how many shows have you seen?"

Takato grinned proudly, and said, "I've seen nearly all of them. The 66 minute animated special "Digital Monster Champions" in mid '94' but its so unique in many aspects that plenty of folks don't consider it to be part of the franchise, Digital-Sejin Sentai Wingmon" in '95', the OVA "Digimon: VR Journey" and "Digimon: Nature Spirits" in "96", this year's "Digimon: Cyber Guardians" and the "Tamers" movie. The two "Data-Scavengers" OVAs. Next year, it's rumored that there's going to be a "Tamers" team-up movie."

Ruki looked like she was having second thoughts. Then her eyes became wider, "Wait, there's going to be a Tamers movie? Awesome!" As she said the last word, she clapped her hands together and giggled.

Five minutes later, Takato's mom rejoined them and they walked for a bit to get to where the panels were.

As they walked, the two friends talked and Takato's mother looked around to take in the sights.

At one point, Ruki said,"I didn't know there was a Digimon card game."

Takato replied, "They announced it at the last convention. You're a bit out of the fandom loop, aren't you?"

Ruki nodded, "Like I said I'm more of a casual fan of the animes right now. You can be a fandom guide of sorts if you like."

Takato said, "Sounds like fun. See, there's a poster ad for the "Hyper Coliseum" game over there." He pointed to a large poster on a wall.

He then saw the price on the poster and groaned,"That deluxe card starter set looks cool but I can't afford it."

Ruki tired to cheer him up, "Then I'll buy it for you as a consolation prize, in addition to my grandmother teaching you how to get better at drawing."

Takato was stunned by the offer, "You don't have to do that."

Ruki smiled warmly, "You're a friend of mine, and we're both fans of the same franchise. Of course I want to do something nice for you."

Ruki, Takato's mom and Takato then went to several panels, including the "Digimon 101" panel. The subsequent talk included a basic rundown of all of the shows and OVA's in the Digimon franchise that had been released so far.

As the panel went on, something odd was happening with Seiko. She tried to leave the building to meet Ruki at the spot they had agreed upon earlier.

but a security guard kept delaying her. Then he let her in to a out-of-the-way room, quickly left it, and then locked it behind him.

"What's going on here? Let me out of this room this instant, I have committed no crime, and I already paid to attend this convention. You don't want to let me out of here, very well then, I came prepared for this kind of emergency." A few minutes later, she put a skeleton key and lock picking kit away and opened the door. The officer stared at her in disbelief and then tried to grab her. However, grabbing him the arm, she got him into a judo hold and tossed him over her shoulder. He fell onto the floor and, realizing her strength, he ran. Seiko chased after him but lost him in the crowd.

Then another officer walked up to her and she described the incident to him.

"All right Mrs. Makino, if you'll come with me, we can search for this fake security guard together and you can help identify him."

They searched for a few minutes, but then the grandmother checked her watch and then sighed. "Of course, Officer. I'm afraid I can't be of any more help to you. I need to meet my granddaughter in the parking lot now and I don't want to have her be worried about me."

He smiled at her, "If you'll give me a short description of her, I can have one of my fellow officers pick her up and take her there while explaining what's going on."

She returned his smile and said, "That sounds like a good idea."

After the panel ended, Ruki did some parlor tricks with her knife, much to the dismay of at least one security guard, who was ignorant of the context then she told Takato and his mom that she was going to meet her grandma. Then she said good bye to Takato and started to go to the parking lot. However, before she left the room, she was approached by a security guard. He had on a black hat with a white band, a black collar and tie, black pants with four horizontal white lines, and a mostly white shirt, and there was something oddly familiar about him that Ruki couldn't place. "Young lady, there's been an incident with your grandmother and she requested that I accompany you to the garage."

The redhead regarded him skeptically, "What kind of incident?"

The officer remained calm and said, "According to the guard at the scene, your grandmother and another person has been seriously injured." He started to walk forward but Ruki didn't budge.

She stared him in the eyes and crossed her arms, "First, I would like to let me see some identification, officer-san."

The man nodded and took out his wallet, revealing an official looking identification card.

The young girl looked them over and then said, "Alright, I'll come with you."

The two of them started to walk down to the underground parking lot.

Seiko was becoming frustrated, "I understand that we need to find the impostor but that's your job. Even with your officer looking after her, I still want to check on my granddaughter. You see, I promised my own daughter I would look after her. Can I call her through the walkie-talkie?"

The officer looked somewhat nervous and said, "The walkie-talkies only supposed to be used by security guards. That's just the way the rules work."

She seemed frustrated and replied, "Then why don't we look in the parking lot? Perhaps the impostor is trying to escape even now?"

The officer thought for a second, "I've already sent an officer down there to escort your granddaughter, he'll keep a close eye out for the impostor."

Seiko shouted,"And while he's doing that who will keep a close eye on my granddaughter?"

The officer looked around in alarm, and looked back at her. He said, 'Could you please calm down ma'am?"

The woman's took a couple of deep breaths and sighed, "I'm sorry officer, I'm still recovering from being imprisoned inside an isolated room for who knows what reason. And I fear the imposter may want to kidnap my granddaughter for ransom."

The woman gave him a pleading look and he replied, "I guess we can go down there after a few more minutes of searching."

The grandmother gave him a genuine smile of appreciation and then five minutes passed.

"Can we stakeout the hallway but connects the parking lot with the rest of the building? Perhaps the imposter's target is of the big event in the parking lot?"

The man checked his watch and then spoke into the walkie-talkie. He heard a unfamiliar voice stating that he had found the phone after it had flown thru the air and hit a wall. Thinking that it ether belonged to a cosplayer or a con guard he had turned it on to contact her or him. The officer muttered, "That idiot must've gone to the restroom and forgotten his walkie-talkie." He looked at the woman beside him and clenched his fist. He let go of the button and said, "Maybe you're right. I need to say a few words to my fellow "officer" anyway."

As far as Ruki and the officer were concerned, the little girl had to use the restroom. She was gone longer than the officer would have liked, partly because most of the toilets were out of order. There were other problems too, like the door locking mechanism in her stall was temporarily stuck. The door opened with a sudden crash that sent the officer back a few steps and caused him to drop his walkie-talkie.

Ruki looked dubiously at the presumably broken toilet before shaking her head in disgust, "Let's try this one more time." The toilet was unsuccessfully flushed and the two of them left as the tomboy suggested that the guard should have his superior call a plumber as soon as possible.

The two of them went down to the parking lot.

Seiko and the officer was there behind a recently unlocked door in the connecting hallway between the building and the bus and taxi terminal. The two of them watched the hallway through a crack in the door until two figures walked by. The officer thought, 'Alright, this was the shortest and likely fastest route to the terminal. Just a bit further and my part will be done. I can quit after today.' The other officer spotted them first and whispered to the grandmother to stay silent and not to make any sudden moves.

However, the grandmother took a look for herself and caught a glimpse of red hair and a familiar outfit. She then opened the door a bit more and saw her granddaughter. Seiko opened the door bit more and called out to Ruki, only for the officer to yank her back inside and he closed the door. The officer with Ruki saw Seiko and started to panic, grabbing Ruki and running. The girl fought back but he slapped her on the cheek and pulled her along. She stared into space and had a brief flash back to her fight with Wong.

When they were part way through the connecting hallway between the building and the garage, Ruki heard someone call her name, but the officer grabbed her and started running. When they finally did enter the garage, the slap still stung.

Ruki didn't put up any resistance until the officer started to lead her towards an unmarked blue van. One parked a few feet away from a bald African-American man talking to a taxi driver. He looked at Ruki and pulled a photo of her and glanced at it. He grinned and thought, 'Time to start earning my pay, there's something off about that guy. I just wish my cab wasn't late, still I was to.'

Then he looked frustrated, Another sighting, another false lead. 'Old friend, I will find you!' he thought. Then we can bring our whole team back together, come out of hiding, bring Hypros down with help from old Z-Mon and the rest of our allies, and set things right at last. Things will be better this time, I swear it!'

She glared at him, "You jerk, why are you taking me to that van?"

He gave her a bad attempt at a reassuring smile, "I'm very sorry I slapped you, I saw someone with a gun. Anyway, this van used by security personnel to transport celebrities or their children to other locations without the occupants being seen. However, in this case, it's going to take you to the hospital where your grandmother is."

Ruki looked around just to be sure that ether Seiko wasn't lying on the floor somewhere or there was any sign of an accident. She now looked angry.

Then Ruki gave him a determined look,"I'm not going in there!"

The man grabbed her by her arms and shouted,"Yes, you are!"

Ruki looked fearful for moment and then he roughly twisted her arms her arms behind her back. The tomboy glared at him and kicked him in the leg. The officer cried out in pain and loosened his grasp. Ruki managed to pull herself free, grabbed him by the other leg and pushed it out from under him. But the now obviously fake officer fell on his posterior and cursed. Ruki tuned him out and ran away.

She heard a noise from the van as the door opened. Ruki paused at the noise, giving time for the now upright officer to stand back up and run at her with a baton now in his right hand and raised. Ruki managed to step out of the way as he swung at her but the officer managed to grab her by the wrist and stopped her from running away. He raised his baton to club her again.

Thinking quickly, Ruki pulled the dulled knife from her pocket and held it against the officer's throat. The man had seen the weapon in use during a parlor trick Ruki had demonstrated for some convention goers earlier. The trick involved sleight-of-hand and misdirection and was supposed to convince the audience that the knife had sliced something in half.

The audience and certainly the false officer had been impressed. The man heard a voice cry out "Night of Fire" and a small fireball shot past the man's fist. He stared at the little girl in disbelief and terror and then he dropped his weapon and put his hands in the air. Just to make sure the man was incapacitated Ruki grabbed the baton and whacked him on the side of the head with it, putting what little experience she had with a baseball bat from her pitching days to use. The man fell to the ground with a loud cry of pain.

This caused the African-American man to come see what was wrong and then a scowling Japanese man stepped out from the van door. He was about his muscular as the African-American and looked like he wanted to strangle Ruki. He ran over to her and put his hand over her throat and then the bald African-American grabbed his hands and pulled them off Ruki's neck.

He then punched the Japanese man in the jaw and slammed his fist into the man's solar plexus. The redhaired girl noticed the man's ring. Her mind drifted back to a minor but still interesting plot point in the first issue of "Youngblood Adventures", that dealt with a special ring given to retired New York police officers.

Ruki's rescuer and the Japanese man fought for several minutes, a third man came out of the van near the fight's end. Finally, the bald man knocked his opponent out cold. As he did so the third or rather forth kiddnapper got within two feet of him with a mean looking pistol.

The Impmon watching the film starred at the gun on the screen, and said, "Oh, come on! In real life my brother said that the guy had a knife, and not a silly gun. I mean when was the last time a gun offed a Digimon... Oh right. Oops, I forgot about the "Code Key" Tragedy. All of those poor Digimon and poor Juri. Sigh. Should I really say stuff like that the thing with the gun in the show?"

From under the van came a soft cry, "Day of Ice"! A hard ice-ball roughly grazed the back of the crook's head and stopped him cold. He was stunned and felt very chilly. Ruki quickly ran towards him, took off her shoe and bashed it into the man's face before the man could take aim. The steel toe connected with a sick crack as the man's nose broke, blood pouring from his nose. The bald African-American man seized the initiative and twisted the man's arm behind his back until he dropped his pistol. The fight soon ended after the man knocked the thug out, leaving him on the ground unconscious and bleeding.

Ruki then heard a noise and turned around, and in the dim lighting, she saw her grandmother standing over what appeared to be a security guard. Ruki walked closer and was shocked to see that her grandmother had a black eye and a broken nose but was still grinning triumphantly. The man in front of her looked terrified. The local paper later sated that he had a broken wrist, a broken nose, missing teeth, two broken fingers on the other hand, and as it later turned out an injured back from a nasty judo toss.

Ruki's grandmother said, "And to think this is the first time I've won a fight since I was on my high school judo team. I'm glad I kept in practice. Ruki, could you please ask that handsome black man to see if the van has some rope and it so we can tie up this charming trio of kidnappers? And please call the cops before my endorphin's wear off and the pain starts to affect me. I actually feel quite tired. After all, I am around 44."

The narrator spoke once more,"The police and the E.M.S were called in and soon the reporters followed. The bald African-American male was surprisingly reluctant to give an interview, telling the police that he was just on this scene because of the security job he was hired to do. He appeared angry at himself for being so late, perhaps because this was his first day on the job. Whatever the answer, he and Ruki got along well. Although, his tight-lipped demeanor and the anxiety he displayed around her made forming a strong bond difficult. They nevertheless parted ways on equal terms."

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1997, Makino House, two days later.

The convention had come and gone. One could tell by looking at the signed and unsigned merchandise that covered the otherwise sparsely decorated room. Various posters covered the wall, official manga volumes, fan manga, an anthology book or two, a anime series art book, three American graphic novels, and three or four Japanese light-novels lined a bookshelf covered in keychains, a Renamon figure kit, several Sailor Moon bookmarks, a statue of Kamen Rider Black atop his motorcycle, a commissioned colored drawing of the Turbokat from SWAT Kats with Wingmon like colors and ornamentation that was being piloted by a Renamon and Tailmon, and a deluxe Hyper Coliseum card-game starter set. Attached to the starter set is a sticky note with the Matsuki family's home address and phone number on it.

The last two days had been like a blur, the youngest and oldest members of the Makino family had been too busy spending time with their new friends/acquaintances and enjoying the convention to pay much attention to the news coverage that surrounded them. By now the excitement was beginning to die down, and Ruki's mother looked relieved. She was probably used to being famous, but her fame had been more gradual than this sudden wave of attention. Earlier that day, Ruki had given an interview to see the tell the story in her own words in the presence of both her guardians. Currently, they were at home and the youngest family member was eating up the attention like an embodiment of gluttony.

Ruki was on a TV screen speaking into a microphone, "Well, there was a good reason for why the kidnapper thought the knife was real, outside of the sleight-of-hand routine, it was similar to several others that were actually sharp. These could be purchased as merchandise, immediately after the "Digimon 101" panel, and in the autograph room elsewhere in that part of the building. I had stopped over there at one point both to compare the quality of my knife with the ones being sold at the con and drum up some business for the knife making company I had gotten this custom job from."

Ruki was watching the television screen, eating cherry ice cream, and grinned widely, "Being on TV was radical. Too bad the rest of the convention wasn't quite as interesting."

Rumiko had stopped looking at an audition script to watch the interview. She then asked, "I can sort of understand that, but did you get to go to that "Utena" panel with your grandmother?" Seiko was on a floor mat and looked at a computer ad. Than she looked at a theater mask, and a black framed photo. She seemed thoughtful and conflicted. 'Heh, online dating. Am I ready to move on at last or must I cope with this feeling of loneliness some other way? Anata, how I wish you were here to hug me now. Something will change, I know that's just how the world works.'

Ruki, shook her head in exasperation, "The special guest had a scheduling conflict and because the bus and taxi terminal was blocked off, he couldn't even get into the building. That being said, me and grandma went to town buying all the Doujins, O.A.V's, occasional piece of merchandise, and manga that interested us. Heck, she even let me read some non-H Yuri-Josei one-shot manga that looked interesting. I and grandma bought every single 'tame' Digimon Doujin we could find. Ether the serous and deadpan Sora Kikuchi and that laid-back and wacky Tailmon from 'Cyber-Gar' or Rai Kikuchi and Wingmon itself from "Wingmon" make such a cute couple."

Her mother looked confused and asked, "Are you trying to tell me that they got away with pairing up two women in a children show?"

"Actually, the Digi-Sejin are completely agender, one of the running plot threads throughout the show is whether or not they should remain so or start to biologically reproduce again. That being said, in the fourth to last episode Tailmon's secret origin is revealed and the hints that the writers put in about her being different from the rest of her kind pay off in a big way. I'm still surprised they managed to get away with the epilogue that has three weddings. What I'm entirely surprised about is that the series head writer came out as a lesbian during the convention."

Her mother said, "I'm not entirely sure what to think about that."

Rumiko said, looking somewhat uncomfortable with their conversation and changing the topic.

Seiko heard the phone ringing and went to answer it.

Ruki sighed, "Anyway, if you want to read about a good straight couple then the protagonist Noriko Yabuna and her familiar and guide Rika, the only male Kubiymon in the show, from "Nature Spirits are a good choice."

Her mom changed the subject, "Didn't you say something about a Digimon card game?"

Ruki nodded, "Yes there was an official announcement last year at the convention, where it was also released. Apparently there's supposed to be some kind of card tournament in October according to a fandom rumor. I don't know if I placed too much stock in those things. Still, I want to be prepared just in case. Though I did actually get enough cards to make a very good deck, I'm not certain if I want to actually play the game either as an amateur or professional. Regardless, I'm going to keep an eye on the tournament."

Ruki's grandmother came in, she looked angrily at her daughter. "What did you try to hide this bill from me? Also why did I just receive a call from a private investigator about medical expenses?"

Rumiko tried to avoid her mother's angry gaze for several minutes until she confessed, " "Boléro no Beauty", the movie I'm trying out for, takes place in March, 1932. I did research on that year in order to get a better feel for the part and learned about the Lindbergh kidnapping. Recently there was a child kidnapping near the convention and Shinjuku has Yakuza in suits walking around with guns and no one is stopping them. I even see them at work sometimes. I want to act but it's more stressful than I thought it would be."

She paused for a moment and then continued, "So last week, I hired a former New York police officer turned Japanese private investigator named Matthew Lewis to look after you two at the convention. I feared that since we're quite wealthy now someone would tried to kidnap you or my daughter. As it turns out, I was right. Lewis did his job, but he was almost late and I was furious."

Seiko glared as she shouted, "I'm the furious one here! You hired a detective without telling me and had him spy on us! If you had just talked to me before hand I would have been fine with that. But no, you had to go behind my back. And during the first trip I and Ruki have taken together in two years no less. We were supposed to bond together, and now you've tainted that experience. Who knows what kind of damage done to our relationship, and to your own relationship with your daughter?"

Her child shouted back, "But I was right!"

Ruki waited until the two had calmed down a bit. She then said, "Yes, you were, but that doesn't mean you could just hire a detective to follow us around without at least telling my grandmother about it. I've tolerated the fact that you tried to get me interested in modeling, and I don't mind wearing a dress for formal occasions. But ever since you become a big name in the fashion industry, you've become paranoid and distant. You throw yourself into your work, and there's no telling how much we'll drift apart. I used to trust you mom, now I'm not sure if I can."

Seiko felt vindicated and smirked. Ruki shook her head in disgust.

"Don't look so smug Grandma. You were perfectly fine with hiring a private investigator to watch over me and perhaps even dig through my life in a misguided attempt to keep me safe. The only reason why you're mad at your own daughter is because she didn't tell you about hiring that guy."

Ruki's grandmother looked at the floor somewhat shamefully. Then she spoke, "That is at least partly true. Give me some time to think."

The clock on the wall showed that two hours passed, the family was once more gathered in the main room. Seiko spoke with care and clarity, "Considering what happened two days ago, I've come to two very important decisions."

Rumiko asked, "What decisions are those?"

The older woman chose her words carefully, "In the first place, I'm beginning to think that Ruki's school is an unsafe environment."

Ruki rolled her eyes, "No duh, Seiko."

Seiko sighed, "Ruki, don't be rude. Therefore, I intend that next year, Ruki will transfer to a private girl's school in Yotsuya."

Ruki looked furious, "Are you trying to tell me but I'm going to have to leave behind the only friend I've ever known? And who knows what kind of friends all make now will that I'm famous for being rad?"

Her grandmother shook her head and replied, "I'm not asking you to stop seeing your friend. At best, the transfer from one school to another won't change that much. Indeed, I'd send you to his school if it weren't for the fact that I've heard some bad things about some of the kids there."

She smirked, "Your mother and I were always planing on moving to Yotsuya when her career starts to end and she becomes a sexy obaasan like me."

Rumiko turned red with anger and embarrassment, "Hey! I'm not that old! I'm trying to become an actress partly because I want to do so and partly so I have something to do later in life."

She continued her teasing, "Now dear, don't be ageist. Some men like older women, you bring them home all the time. I'm just glad you aren't trying to become a Gravure idol."

The Impmon seemed puzzled and paused the documentary He searched for a gadget he could use to look up the term. He found it on a table covered in issues of IDW's ongoing ATFW comics line and glanced at one that said, "Pollo Quest 2020! (5 of 7!)" Its cover blurb said, "Linkara meets the Power Rangers!" The Impmon smiled fondly at his signed copy and then picked up a three year old 7G Smart-Watch.

He turned it on and after searching for a bit, he found what he looking for. "Ah, so a Gravure idol is like that pin-up girl pic in the calendar I saw in the old WW2 crime movie last night."

Now Ruki and her mom both turned red and Ruki quickly changed the subject, "What's the other major decision?"

She smiled at her child's growing horror as she said, "That my granddaughter is going to get self-defense training from professionals. If you want to boast about how "rad" you are, I'm going to make sure you're capable of backing up that kind of boasting. I'll get people who will teach you all kinds of things related to hand-to-hand combat and protecting yourself. This will start next week if possible."

Ruki stared at her grandmother and then hugged her, "Oh thank you. Thank you. Thank you! This is so awesome! In a few years, I'll be able to kick ten kinds of as... Um, butt."

The narrator spoke once more,"The newspapers had a field day, with headlines like, "Little Girl, Grandmother, and Former cop Stop Kidnapping Attempt!", "Regional Yakuza Leader Implicated in Crime", "Kidnapping by Broke Croaks foiled by Mysterious Ex-cop and Little Girl", "Judo Expert Grandma Defeats Entire Gang", "Black Man Unsuccessfully Sued by Kidnappers", "African-American is actually P.I"(Nov 15th), "Matthew Lewis retires from P.I business after lucrative counter suit and large paycheck" (1999). Finally the tabloid headline screamed, "Little Girl Foils Own Kidnapping by Putting Knife to Kidnapper's Throat."

Elsewhere, a person with small red gloves and purple fur spoke to someone else, "Look angel-face, next time I might be there to keep her safe. Get more folks here to do that job if you can't. Also, like I told you folks earlier, I quit! I hate those two and I never want to see them again. They nearly ripped my arms off. I'm though with this stuff, and if you can't send me home, then I'll stay here. I've live in worse places with less food than this."

Although, Ruki enjoyed her newfound fame at first, she would soon discover that it had serious repercussions on her reputation. These repercussions would set her down the path towards becoming the dreaded "Digimon Queen"!"


	4. The Fall of Ruki Part 1

Chapter 3: The Fall of Ruki Part 1

AN- Matsuda "Aya" Takato pairents work and live underneath the "Handmade Bread Matsuda Bakery". Oddly enough, Matsuda means "Pine Tree". From 1997-2001 its sign read: "Even famed models like Minoka Rumiko love our bread! Try it and get full!" Fresh loaves made daily." All of the tech is this chapter is real, including the plasma blade which definitely is possible. I skipped over any current gaps in our knowledge. Most of the shows are fake outside of Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure Tri. Those two are radically different in this AU.

* * *

Info on Digimon Card Game (1997-2003): The "Hyper Colosseum of Digital Monsters" Series is one of the original five parts of the first version of Digimon Card Game. In mid-1998 three of the parts weren't selling well. Those parts made the game take too long to play in both the first card tournament and just friendly game among kids. By 2000, only the Digimon Adventurers RPG (that Digimon Adventures Uni was a spin-off of) and the 'Digimon-Battle' card game were being made. The card game was re-branded as simply "Hyper Colosseum" "which was already in use by players anyway".

Digimon Adventures (later called Digimon Adventures Uni) was an anime that spanned one 26 minute special called Digimon Adventures: First Hints of Another World (aired late 1998), one movie called 'Our War Game' (aired 2001 and set between D.A Uni and D.A Twi), and 68 episodes (aired late 1999-2000). They were written and made in tandem as two great episode blocks by two different anime studios. The show introduced to several new concepts and reimagined the Digital World as a universe rather than as something that existed on earth in a way similar to VR Plane dimension the "VR Journey" OVA. However, it was distinct in that instead of being a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/fantasy world similar to the exploration stage of the card game it was vaster in scope, more surreal, devoid of civilization (save for small villages), but also better explained than the the earlier VR Worlds.

The show itself was almost the same in concept as the one in our world, but somewhat distinct in execution. For example, the art style, character development, Japanese VA's, and lore was different.

Such as, the Four Prophecies of the Chosen Children (eps 8, 23, 29, and 44), there being the mysterious artifacts (Tags and their Crests) they needed to find, hints about who had made the Digivices, the mystery of who made the artifacts being an over-arcing theme, the children and their partners getting to know one another over the course of episodes 9-12, the partners interacting more with each other and having character-arcs, a suggestion that there was an older part of the digital world, and some hints early on that there was a hierarchy in terms of the threats they would face.

There was a sense that someone had protected the Digital World before, before the children had arrived and that this first group had only been partially successful in their mission. As the return of one ancient and powerful foe had caused all of the other villains either to exist or allowed them to seize power. It also appeared that the Digital World was somewhat incomplete, and that its overseer and original protectors were missing.

Once that was out of the way, the kids interacted with each other for an episode or two, before the first major arc started. Although the buildup was slow, at gave a sense that this world could be a real place and made the characters seem more realistic.

Also there was more emphasis on Digimon being the protectors of boys and girls, something that hadn't been seen since Nature Spirits but was a key component of the card game's lore. Finally, the Dark Ocean and the 'New' Digital World was the subject of a small (eps 1-5) OVA miniseries called 'A Call of Apathy and Despair from the Dark Ocean! Chosen Children against a Dark God!' It's filled with uneasiness, dark atmosphere, and bits of cosmic horror with a hint of a larger hierarchy of powerful beings that may have created the Digital World. It introduced the major villains of the next series, showed new locations, briefly introduced the 'Twi' Digimon and their future partners, and was set after 'Our War Game' but before Digimon Adventures Twi.

After the first (successful) battle in eps 2-3, the Digimon got a bit of back story in eps 4-6 that would be elaborated on later. The Story Arcs were given fanon names by Japanese fans: 1-10 (Secrets of the Digital World!), 10-23 (Terrible Gears of File Island), 23-31 (The New Foe, Beware the Dark Network), 31-43 (A Demon bars our Only Way Home/The Saga of the Last Digivice), 44-48 (An Old Foe Returns, Who is Gennai?), 48-61 (A Dying World of Shuffling, the Dreaded 'Dark Masters' of Infinity Mountain), 62-68 (Apocalypse of the Digital World! A Secret Power in the Data-Underworld!).

The last story-arc stated that the children survived being deleted because there was a backup plan made by Gennai and World-Overseer Megamon years ago. Gennai then explained his role in things as the last remaining original Chosen Child and what happened to his old group. This info and the plan lead them to victory, and gives Gennai closure at last.

Interestingly enough, a Digimon PC game was made in the U.S and it proved to be popular with certain Japanese kids over the net and by word of mouth. This was due to both Digimon-maker mode and a regular battle mode. It also allegedly had a limited edition console and in 2000 Mr. Lee give his son one. Three days later, Terrermon came out of it much to the shock of Jian.

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Aug, 23, 1997, Makino House.

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Ruki looked at the pack of cards she had gotten from Comkiet and sighed. She thought, 'Well, it's been a week since the kidnapping and I'm not going to be able to see Takato for another week. I've been bored for the last three days but I've been putting this off. Trying a new and possibly difficult activity without a mentor or at least someone to play against is probably going to be really boring. But if I want to have common ground with Takato and maybe play in some kind of card competition, I have to do this.'

Ruki got up from her floor bed and went over to the kitchen, muttering, "Just because I pretty much have the run of the house at times doesn't mean I shouldn't ask my grandmother for permission when dealing with sharp objects. The last thing I want to do is miss my third self-defense lesson because I've been grounded."

She now thought, 'Then there's our new psychiatrist. Going to see a shrink is kind of boring, but she's nice, easy to talk to, and I trust her more the one I had before I and that black guy fought off those jerks at the con.'

She rolled her eyes, 'The old one wasn't much help and gave my mom a few bad ideas about her work hours and maybe that P.I from the con, whatever Seiko's new life goal is, and talked down to me. Me going on a major power trip during early teens and maybe having of five symptoms of N.P.D (Narcissistic Personality Disorder). Ha, as if!"

Seiko was in the kitchen preparing lunch, her granddaughter walked up to her and asked, "Hey grandmother, can I borrowed the scissors and if that fails a small knife to cut through the packaging on some cards I got from the convention?"

The she gave the redhead a thoughtful look and then replied, "All right, just remember to be careful and put both the scissors and the knife back where you found them."

She smiled and nodded, "I will, grandma, thanks." Ruki took the scissors and the knife from different drawers, went to her room, and started to open the package. The top of the package was green, the sides were red, and the lettering was blue to match the mostly blue "Digimon" logo at the top of the package's top. The logo had the the pixelated words "Hyper Colosseum of Digital Monsters Series (TM)" it's title. Underneath the words was an equally pixelated and very simplistic drawing of a Tyrannomon, allegedly the first Digimon created by artist Keith McCoy when he was a boy.

Underneath the logo was the product name, "Digimon Card Game- Deluxe Starter Package!" A red blurb on one side said, "Three Exclusive Cards Inside! Buy Two Packs and get a Rare Card!" Another read, "A Card Tournament is Coming next Year in Feb!"

The package also had a Tailmon, a Kybimon, and a Palmon on the top, a Wingmon on one side of the package, a Augmon on the other. Beside the popular digital monsters on the top were two cards, and underneath the digital monsters was a pile of cards. One part small part said, "Requires ether 'Bandai Card Scaner' (8673.54¥, or 74$) or JShourai Tech's 'Card Fighter Ex' (9845.64¥ or 84$) for some effects."

Ruki easily opened the package's plastic wrapping, and then tried to use the scissors on the clear tape used to seal the box and the content within. Then she used the knife and managed to cut through the two strips of tape. After that, she got the scissors and the knife and put both back where she found them. She went back into her room and opened the box.

The box contained a guide on how to play the card game, a 23 page booklet on the card lore, 20 cards, 3 extra cards, a cardholder that could be attached to a belt, an (a, not an) 45 page art book, a five page book of various card game related merchandise, a small yellow scarf with a purple outline of a Kyubimon, a CD with "battle" music on it, an ad-less 28 page mini-manga that ended on a cliffhanger that the text said would be resolved in the a kit for advanced players and that this would be released next year, a small but nicely detailed Wingmon figurine, and list of all available cards.

Ruki took stock of her acquisition and said, "Yep, definitely worth the ¥6,607 I paid for it. I hope Takato is happy with the starter kit I got him on the last day of the convention. I'll read the manga later, the music on the CD looks interesting, and the artwork on the case and in the art book is pretty cool too. I don't recognize the green and yellow characters. Hmm... Maybe they'll appear in the next anime or manga. For now, let's take a look at the cards and the how to guide."

The front of the guide read, "Have fun with ether a five-stage playing card RPG-game with battle monsters or split it into five different games!"

An ad in the box read, "Explore a Data-based VR-realm filled with living battle monsters, human and monsters, the up-loaded minds who tame them, magic, Gods, lost technology, fields with new locations and secrets to see and unlock. Live the lore of a vast VR world set against the back drop of a future Earth!"

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Aug, 31, 1997, Ruki's school, first day back after winter break.

Ruki approached the school entrance with a little bit of trepidation, and she let out a deep breath and pulled the cardholder out of her backpack and took a look at her favorite card: this was one of the two exclusive cards from a starter pack and sold the beautiful image of a Wingmon rising into the air. Then she looked at the back of the card, which had special text in a surrounded by a rectangular gold outline.

The text read, "Like a Phoenix, I will rise into the air with confidence and burn all my doubters in my wake. For I am like an Ultimate Digimon, a Digimon King or Queen who is the strongest Tamer in the world. I have reached the pinnacle of enlightenment at which great things may be accomplished."

She put the card back in the holder and put the holder away. She checked her watch, and muttered, "Six minutes to class. I'm glad I left early. I want to make a good impression. Maybe I'll make some friends today." Ruki felt a confident smile form on her lips and she entered the courtyard with a confident swagger like she owned the world, and softly whistled the main tune from the "Wingmon" anime as she did so.

She approached a group of girls wearing the same red school uniform she did. They were huddled in a circle undoubtedly discussing gossip in a whisper. When they saw her, their brief giggles ended and looks of fear appeared. The group stood up straight, stared at her, shuddered, and then stepped back several paces.

Ruki raised an eyebrow and then ignored them. As she stepped into the school's main entrance, the students and even some of the teachers gave her odd looks. The redhaired girl shrugged her shoulders and then continued onward. When she reached her classroom, the male students regarded her with awe and the female students looked horrified as though Ruki's presence brought forth a disturbing mental image. She said, "Okay this is getting ridiculous. Could someone please explain just what is going on here?"

No one volunteered an explanation and the seven-year-old looked at them like they'd all lost their minds.

She groaned, "I mean if this is about the kidnapping then I would expect sympathy as opposed to horror and awe."

After the class temporarily ended for lunch, Ruki went to the cafeteria and spotted some jerks going after someone's lunch money. The narrator spoke briefly, "Since the school was a private one, everyone who went there could afford to get lunch, so stealing lunch money was a truly petty act of domination and cruelty."

The narrator spoke again, "At least half of the children were sons and daughters of business people of varying degrees of respectability. The main male bullies had rich parents, and some of their slightly younger siblings apparently went to the same well-regarded public school as Takato. Those brats had been kicked out of the school personally by the professional wrestler that the school was named for. This was in spite of the fact that the woman had received death threats and had been attacked twice. This was why no one at the school did anything. One time was recent, and she and the principal were recovering from injuries."

The narrator spoke one last time, "Also, dark rumors told of bribes and less parental supervision than was customary or so the rumor mill had said in the previous semester."

Ruki thought, 'Ordinarily, I would not have cared about such things, but I wanted to keep myself out of danger and still want to know who to avoid. Nobody knows how these kid's parents make their money and many are afraid to find out.'

However, on this day a simple glare in the direction of the bullies made them ceased to activities and back away in fear. Ruki, said to herself, "I may not understand what's going on here but I may as well use it to my advantage and keep things peaceful here."

When the school day ended, Ruki was fed up with the mystery and spoke with her teacher "Daichi Tanaka" before he left for home. She approached his desk and asked, "Tanaka-Sensei, could you please explain to me why everyone seems so scared of me?"

The thirty-eight-year-old man laid back in his chair and put his hand to the side of his head and ran his fingers through his short black hair. Then he replied, "Rumors about your experience have been going around the student body for two full weeks. Some rumors state would you were kidnapped at gunpoint and slit your attacker's throat with a knife. Others say there were four kidnappers armed with pistols and you killed them in a gun fight."

Her eyes open wide disbelief and shock, "WTF? I've never held a gun in my life. Guns are for bad comic-book characters, those Gorgom losers from that movie who fall to Kamen Rider Black, and yakuza crooks."

He looked at her and shook his head sadly, "However, that's only part of the problem. The other part is that the students somehow learned that your mother had hired a female professional wrestler to teach you self-defense. That led to all sorts of baseless speculation ranging from your mother also hiring a judo master, Jackie Chan, a real-life Digimon who can shatter solid stone with their fists, a full security team composed of former Marines, and a squad of highly trained assassins."

Ruki shook her head and looked annoyed, "Well she actually did hire an excellent martial artist, and I honestly wouldn't put it past her to hire a security team. My mom only met Jackie Chan once at a party and even then it was just briefly. I certainly don't think my mom would ever hire an assassin to keep me safe. I will say that having a Digimon bodyguard sounds awesome! Um, anyway... Those rumors will go away right?"

The teacher gave her a sad and faraway look, "Rumors do eventually go away, but they can come back when you least expect. As long as you don't do anything to encourage the rumors they will eventually die down."

Ruki gave him an incredulous look at him, "How often am I going to get kidnapped or get into a fight? I've gone out of my way to avoid confrontation in a school where most of the bullies have very shady parents with who knows what source of income. The only time I've ever fought against somebody for bullying is when I was absolutely certain that they weren't affiliated with anybody shady."

He shrugged his shoulders, "As long as you stay out of trouble and keep your head down, you should be all right. I wish someone would clean up the school, but the police are either too busy or unconcerned to deal with this problem. It's times like this that I wish there were superheroes but they don't exist."

Ruki clenched her fist and as her passion built she said, "One day, I'm going to be powerful enough to stand up to such people, and there isn't going to be a bully in this world who won't be scared of me."

Her teacher rolled his eyes at her theatrics and thought, 'When her grandmother said that she used to work in the theater, I didn't believe her. Now I do. Just a few more years to retirement. You can make it through this, just sound wise and use the quote. You tried to help these poor kids, and repeatedly failed. This place is a sinking ship, and this girl is going to leave it soon enough if her mother has any sense.'

He tried not to look dejected and said, "I fear physical strength can only do so much in this kind of situation. 'Entrenched political power is always greater than any opposing force, save for ether revolt or sloth-like reform.' "

Ruki, gave him a look that was at first dejected and then puzzled, "Um, who you quoting?"

He gave her an almost humorless smile for a moment, and then gave her a genuine one, "Believe it or not, my own bitter but philosophical grandfather."

Ruki gave him a bemused smile and left the room.

She sighed and took out her Wingmon card, looked first at it and then at her fellow students. They were looking at her nervously and she looked at a gang of jerks with her iron will and shivered. For a moment, she soaked up the feeling of power,"Huh, this feeling of strength, will, fear from others, and joy. It feels wonderful! I don't ever want to feel helpless again."

She thought, 'Nobody, regardless of wealth or poverty deserves to be bullied. That being said, I need to remember what my grandmother told me about becoming a bully myself.'

Then Ruki left the building…

Ruki went home and did her usual routine, including doing her homework and looking for new badass quotes for her collection on Seiko's computer. Ruki rarely ever used it and sometimes forgot it was there. Then the girl slept during the night.

A week passed, and nothing changed, Ruki was still feared. Then another week passed and the redhaired got mixed feelings about this and explained the situation to her grandmother. Seiko suggested that she bring up this topic the next time she went to the psychiatrist that Ruki had been seeing ever since the con event. The psychiatrist was named Chiziwa "Enami" Mio, and she asked, "Now, Ruki you been stressed by something throughout this session, now please tell me what's on your mind?"

The seven-year-old took a deep breath to keep herself from ranting and her face became contemplative and regretful. She replied, "Everyone at school is scared of me because of both the incident and the fact that I'm taking self-defense training from an actual professional wrestler. At first I felt powerful, that felt good. It still does, but now it's gotten even worse. The sense of danger I see in my fellow students has gotten stronger because I stupidly told my teacher something. I thought I could trust him not to mention to other people that I'm taking judo lessons from a professional too. How can I make any friends at my school if they're all too scared to even approach me?"

The therapist gave her a reassuring smile and said, "Ruki, you need to show them that there's nothing to be afraid of, that you're just another seven-year-old girl."

Ruki looked first shocked then insulted, and finally outraged. She took another deep breath."Are you suggesting that I wear pretty dresses, generally be compliant, and stop being who I am? Doesn't everybody want to be accepted for who they are?" She asked with sarcasm, contempt, and then a hint of sadness.

Mio nodded, and for a moment there was a look of sadness and pain on her face, as she replied, "I'm not suggesting that you go that far, at least not until you're older."

'When you're an adult, you're certainly going to have to do so if you want to fit in the most groups in Japanese society. That's not a good lesson but one that she still needs to know. I learned it the hard way when I first moved here. Being shunned hurts. Sigh, it's times like this I wish I was back in Tento', Mio thought.

She smiled warmly as she turned her attention back to the present, and continued speaking, "You're a kid. A competitive, blunt, somewhat idealistic, smart, and perhaps even somewhat precocious young girl who wants to help others in spite of the fact that they fear you."

Ruki sighed, and tried to lighten the mood with a joke that fell flat, "If they start hating me and, I get a superpower, can I run off to join the X-Men?"

The woman gave her a puzzled look and asked, "Who are the X-Men?"

The woman's patient groaned and tried to explain before giving up. "They're from a U.S cartoon I've been watching online lately… Sigh. Nevermind, we're getting off topic."

Doctor Chiziwa frowned and then nodded, "Indeed we are. What I'm trying to tell you is that, you want to protect others and that's a good thing. In the long-term, you should try doing that but also show them that they don't need to be afraid of you because you're only going to hurt anyone who threatens your physical safety, that's what self-defense is all about. And your fellow students need to know that."

They sat in silence for a minute or two as Ruki thought about that piece of advice. Then the therapist started speaking once more to continue her advice, "After you do that, don't appear nonverbally threatening as far as your body language is concerned. After say, maybe a month or so, they will calm down and realize that you're not going to hurt them. In the meantime, your continuing social isolation disturbs me. I suggest you take time out to see a friend as soon as possible."

Ruki smiled weakly as an idea formed in her head, "So you're saying I should spend time with Takato, and maybe take a day off from school?"

The therapist looked relieved but baffled, "I thought you said you didn't have any friends?"

Ruki shook her head, "I was talking about not having friends at my own school. I made a friend at the Comkeit. "

Mio smiled at this fact, "Is there anyone else who might be your friend?"

Ruki was silent for a moment and looked embarrassed, "Well... My grandmother mentioned someone in her "tàijíquán" class named Lee. He has a son around my age. He also has an interest in both programming and playing Digimon PC games. I really hope he's not the same Lee I met before, that would be really awkward."

Chiziwa had a thoughtful look on her face as she said, "You've mentioned that event before. We'll need to resolve that anger sooner or later. However, let's deal with one thing at a time, shall we?"

Ruki groaned," Still, I've never actually played those games, though I know about them. They could be fun. I think one of them is a role-playing game, and another one combines point and click adventure games with platforming and one on one fights. That one actually sounds interesting, come to think of it."

The therapist said, "That's good, the more friends you have the better."

Ruki sighed, "I've been reluctant to meet him. Partly, because we like radically different parts of the franchise and unlike me, he's a pacifist. I respect pacifists, they're braver than I'll ever be... That being said, my judo instructor says that I've got the makings of a warrior. I don't think warriors and pacifists really mix well."

Mio looked hopeful, "Perhaps you will have other things in common."

Ruki shook her head, "I fear our interests are only superficially similar. That being said, I will at least talk to him when I go see Takato. Maybe he wants to write a manga and needs some artistic help and financial backing?"

Ruki grew more confident and smiled with glee, "Maybe his dad or sensei will spar with me."

Mio grinned back, "Anyway, spend two whole days with Takato. Maybe go to his school. Do things you enjoy, just hang out and talk, find out about your likes and dislikes."

Ruki thought for a moment, "You know but actually sounds like a good idea. I'll see if my mom and grandma are alright with me taking a day off from school on Friday and go spend that day trying to hang out with Takato as much as possible. I'll also spend the weekend with him as much as I can."

The narrator said, "That night Ruki and her mother and grandmother talked for two hours. Then after thinking about it for three days, the two women agreed with the redhead. Her taking a one-day vacation from a school where her fellow students feared and shunned her was a good idea."

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Sep, 7th, 1997, Yodobashi Elementary School.

Ruki took stock of the open gate, the simple get beautiful wooden paneling on the wall surrounding the school, and the beautiful, simple, inviting and well-maintained buildings. Indeed, one reason why she had been allowed to leave was because the school was being closed for refurbishing of the buildings on this particular Friday.

Ruki's mother cared more about the quality of the teaching staff, recommendations of famous people, and the educational experience than the look of the school. Sadly, the fundraisers didn't always go as planned, particularly considering what some of the parents probably did for a living.

Ruki looked at her watch and said, "If I time things right, recess should be starting in two minutes. Takato should be under that playground sculpture his mother claimed he always hung around."

She walked over to the sculpture and waited for a few minutes, then a boy with brown hair, yellow t-shirt, red pants, or ends socks, and blue sneakers. His hair was no longer spiky, and his eyes were no longer red. Instead his eyes were a dull yellow, and his hair was still dark brown but went down to an inch below his ears.

When he saw Ruki, his small smile became bigger and he ran up to her. Her smile became bigger as well.

Takato said, "Ruki-kun, it's good to see you. A part of me thought that your mother would have second thoughts about having you taking a sick day."

Ruki nodded, "She did but my grandmother convinced her otherwise with help from some good food and a shopping trip to a mall that's new to us. I went along too, though I was more interested in going to a gaming shop to find someone to play the Digimon card game against. I found three people, two boys and a girl... I lost my first match, tied the second when we both ran out of cards to play, but I won the third one with the girl. There was also a younger girl, named Hikari or something, she seemed kind of sad. I think the first guy may have cheated with a marked Cyberdramon card. Arrgg, I hate it when folks cheat!"

Takato smiled, "Still it's great that you won. Sadly, I haven't found anyone to practice against so far though."

Ruki smiled back, "Well now, that I'm here I can give you some tips and tricks and get better at the game in the process."

Someone walked past them, he was wearing gray pants and an orange shirt and green sneakers. He had black pupils, and hair with a blueish tint. He gave Ruki a look of shock and fear when he saw her.

Ruki looked back at him in shock and then glared at him. She walked towards him and asked, "Is your name Jianliang Lee?"

He gave her a look filled with fear, shame, and a bit of puzzlement, "Is that you Ruki-chan? How did you know who I was?"

Ruki sneered, "My grandmother is part of the same martial arts class your father is. Also, you broke my leg and fled like a jerk!"

Jianliang calmly said, "I'm not a jerk! I'm sorry for breaking your leg. I've done some things I regret, but that was the stupidest. My whole family was watching, and I wanted to show them what I could do. Then you got me in that judo hold and I went too far."

Ruki shook her head, "I appreciate the apology, but it'll be a while before I forgive you. And you still have it apologize for running away. Stupid martial art, give me 'compassionate meditation' or good old judo any day."

His body language screamed annoyance and he replied, "Taijiquan is more than a martial art. It's a philosophy with religious connotations for many. I practice it so I can live a long life, spend time with my dad, and enjoy its health benefits."

In spite of her best efforts, Ruki couldn't keep a little bit of sarcasm from entering her voice as she replied, "I hope you never have to use it to hurt anybody else."

He clenched his fist and replied, " After that and another incident, I vowed never hurt anyone again. It's against my philosophy and against my dad's personal interpretation of Taijiquan. Now I'm a pacifist and my dad wouldn't like it anyway."

Ruki counted to ten and then talked about something else, "So I and Takato were talking about the Digimon franchise. Want to join in?"

He smiled for a moment and then nodded, "Are you referring to the card game, the TV shows, the mangas, the three light novels, the new "D-Pet Pendulum" device, or the Japanese and American PC games?"

She replied and then did a double-take, "The TV shows and the card game. Wait, there are three light novels?"

He nodded again, "They're kind of obscure. The only reason I've heard of them is that my mom works for a major publishing company and my dad works for a tech-firm. He does IT support for Bandai and its new computer division. They mostly make the Digimon PC games right now."

Ruki whistled in surprise, "Your dad sounds like he has an interesting job."

Jianliang said, "He once said Bandai owes it to him or something. He doesn't like to talk about it."

Ruki looked annoyed and disappointed, "Oh… OK."

Jianliang sighed, "My dad's always been a bit paranoid about the Japanese government. I'm sure he has a good reason for it."

Ruki nodded, "He's in good company. My grandma has a couple of conspiracy theories too, though mostly about how the Kami try to guide the Japanese government to be better."

Jianliang grit his teeth, "My dad is not a conspiracy theorist! "Your grandmother must be crazy!"

Ruki shouted, "My grandmother is not crazy! She's just very optimistic about how much power and benevolence the Kami have. She's a member of the MettaKamido (Way of Compassionate Gods) movement."

Jianliang seemed shocked at this revelation, "Huh, I've heard of it. Isn't it mostly popular with young people online?"

Ruki thought, 'Ageist jerk.' "Yes, your point being?", she said testily.

Jianliang now looked at the ground in shame, "Sigh, let's calm down here. "

Ruki took a few deep breaths, "I am being calm. Sorry for calling your dad a conspiracy theorist."

He forced a smile, "And I'm sorry for calling your grandmother crazy. I'm going to get a drink of water. I'm thirsty and I need to calm down."

After Ruki left for a drink of her own, Jianliang and Takato talked. Then as Ruki came back Jianliang said, "We aren't really getting along right now." Ruki said, "You still haven't said sorry for running away after you hurt me."

He flinched, "I,I,I didn't run away." He thought, 'Did I? What was I so sacred of? Shame or guilt? I don't know if I want her as a friend until I figure this out.'

He sighed, "While I enjoyed playing the card game with my father, I'm certain that I wouldn't enjoy playing it with you!"

He shook Takato's hand and walked away Jianliang looked uneasy and ashamed. Without thinking, he stuck his tongue out at Ruki in self-anger. She barely stopped herself from giving him the finger.

Ruki, shook her head in disbelief and said, "So much for him being mellow. I know it was the heat of the moment kind of thing, but he didn't have to stick his tongue out at me. What a baka."

Takato glared at her, "Well to be fair, you did call his father a conspiracy theorist, and it's obvious that they're close."

Ruki groaned in annoyance and disappointment," Why are you so angry? You're looking at me like I just killed your crush. He could've just walked away and then come back to talk to you after I left. He didn't even give me the chance to apologize."

Takato sighed, "You also threatened to punch him in the nose."

Ruki snorted and then narrowed her eyes in anger, "How would you react if somebody said that your comparatively young grandmother had a mental illness? Groups that help people who have mental illnesses are some of my grandmother's favorite charities!"

She sat on the ground and meditated for 6 minutes, and Takato read a book for a few minutes so she could. Then she got up and said,"Do I suck at talking to guys other than you or something?" Takato looked her in the eyes and shrugged helplessly.

She tried to change the subject, "Um, so how are your grandparents doing?"

Takato stared into space for a moment before replying, "I wouldn't know. They're both dead."

For a moment, there was awkward silence, as Ruki stared at her friend, and then at the ground in shame. Eventually the silence became unbearable and Ruki said, "Let's just change the subject back to the card game. I apologize for bringing up something that might be painful."

He shook his head and gave a somewhat forced smile, "That's all right, neither one of them was a major part of my life because they were always traveling. They wanted independence and they wanted my parents to succeed on their own. Their will stated that my parents get enough money to pay off the major debts my mom and dad got from culinary school and that's it."

Ruki flinched, "Ouch, that kind of sucks."

He nodded but then smiled, "My mom's parents are still alive though. One of them was a mangaka (manga artist) who drew mostly drama-gag works involving cooking contests and as a side job my grandma drew three volumes of a slice of life work taking place at the same bakery she often hated to work at."

Ruki smiled sympathetically, "Sounds like me posing on a photo set at my mom's workplace. Wearing some dress that looks nice until you put it on and find out it's too tight, itchy, silly, or just impractical. You want to say something but the poor designer is standing almost in front of you ether looking bored or sweating bullets and you don't always have the heart to tell them that all their hard work was for nothing. It's so boring, and standing still in different poses starts to hurt after a bit. Just for once I'd like to try on something with pants or that's cool looking."

Takato winched and said, "So do you want to talk about the card game now?"

Ruki brightened up in seconds, "Sure!"

Takato grinned, "OK, what subject?"

Ruki smirked, "Well, if we're going to get other people around here to play this game, we should probably become good at explaining the rules, even the basic ones."

Takato said, "All right, you go first."

Ruki closed eyes and thought for a few minutes, "OK. The game contains elements of "Magic: The Gathering", several other card games, draws inspiration from tabletop RPG's with an exploration and caretaking elements that haven't been fully utilized yet. This includes the idea of regularly feeding your Digimon, giving it several different kinds of pills, keeping its mental data free of corruption during a fight, and giving it a place to store "waste data". Your turn, Takato."

He nodded, "Alright. According to be instructions on the deluxe starter set, the game will be eventually divided into three phases: The monster against monster battle phase, the "Field" exploration phase, and a caretaking phase. There are elements of the first one are in the game already but apparently expansion packs focusing on the caretaking and exploration phases will be released next year. The game is still new so they might change the rules at some point in the future."

Ruki spoke next, "For the moment, each player is allowed 20 cards. There are five kinds of cards: Digimon cards, Field Cards" that have environmental effects and can be used to increase a Digimon's attacks or abilities, "Option Cards" that are the game equivalent of magical objects, food and medical supplies, and 'Ability Cards' including "Matrix Evolution".

It was Takato's turn, "There are five ways to win the game: Be the only ultimate level left on the field, defeat at least five of the monsters on your opponents team over the course of several one-on-one battles, turn all of your opponents monsters back into eggs, remove the field card and all five matrix evolution cards from play, and unite all seven pieces of the monster, who according to the lore was the first to achieve ultimate-level, Megamon!"

He then sighed, "I do wish they would simplify the rules a little bit, maybe separate exploration and caretaking aspects into another game."

Ruki nodded, "I kind of agree with you but I like the idea of exploring a field while taking care of a battle monster so it can get into one-on-one fights."

The narrator spoke again, "Three weeks passed, Ruki became better at judo and at the card game. She even taught a few self-defense moves to Takato and he became better at the game as well. On Sept., 29th, 1997 Ruki was off because of a cousin's funeral. However, her grandmother came down with the flu and she was forced to stay behind with her mother. After the spending several hours taking care of her grandmother Ruki's "shift" ended and Rumiko took over. Ruki went to get the prop knife she had used before to show to Takato at his home. The redhead went to see her friend with the aid of a prearranged cab ride.

She paid the cab fare and met Takato at recess but he had a nasty problem..."

Ruki looked at him. He was by the play-ground sculptures as usual and also as usual there were few kids around there except for four male students. Most were elsewhere having fun under the watchful eyes of Takato's often stressed out Homeroom Sensei Asanuma. The four male students looked to be about two years older than either Takato or herself and their body language was threatening. She then heard a sound and looked to see another student. She wore a kneelength green dress, yellow long-sleeved shirt, small green hair-bow, and was carrying a clear plastic bag filled with yellow sewing material, and a deck of collectible cards. Ruki blushed briefly and thought, 'She's cute. Gah... Not again! At least last time it was a cool boy! Wait, whats going on with her eye? Oh, ouch!'

The other student averted her eyes from the four bullies and looked both scared and ashamed. She rubbed her fresh black eye and saw Ruki looking at her gave her a sad glance before the other girl ran off, likely going to the nurse's office.

The oldest of the group who looked to be their leader said to Takato, "Alright nerd, we know you're fast when it comes to running. But there's no running from us."

Another one of the kids said, "You like that card game so much, maybe we should take it off your hands."

Another grinned wickedly, "Maybe some of the cards are rare. We can sell them, then we'll burn the rest."

Takato looked horrified, "Those cards are a gift from a friend of mine, and I use them to practice drawing. Please leave them and me alone."

Ruki took a few steps back and muttered, "Okay that doe (does) it, I'm going to get some help. Better to let trained adults deal with this problem then just start a fight without a good reason. Besides, the last thing I need to do is to make my classmates fear me all over again."

She looked around for a teacher and spotted one on the other side of the playground, however the teacher was busy breaking up a fight between a boy and a girl that had drawn a bit of blood. The redhead sighed, 'Those bystanders are like professional wrestling fans gathered around a ring. Haven't they ever heard that "evil triumphs when good men do nothing"? I think I misquoted the line but who cares...'

She looked back at her friend and saw what he'd narrowly dodged the punch, and took a moment to smile at the stupidity of the bullies who were trying to beat somebody up in the open. Admittedly, they were in a fairly isolated spot but they still ran a heavy risk of being caught. Ruki glanced back at the teacher, and saw that the fight was over. She went as close as she could to the teacher while keeping an eye on her friend.

Ruki walked over and said hi. The teacher was now refereeing an impromptu soccer match between ten kids and after just a quick glance told Ruki to change into her white shirt and bloomers. The teacher came off as cold and uncaring. One of the kids now saw Ruki and was tripped by another boy, falling head first. The fan of western cartoons and magical girls threw up her hands in exasperation and started to go to the teacher when she glanced back at Takato for a sec. Then she went over to her friend to help him personally.

She had done so because Takato had just received a black eye. For a moment, the one-time kidnapping victim hesitated. Ruki was uncertain if she should use the fighting skills she had picked up to protect someone who probably wouldn't end up dying if she didn't help him. Takato tried to make a break for it and managed to knock one of the kids over. However, the person who had fallen managed to grab him by the leg and poor Takato fell over.

Ruki walked over to them and muttered, "Do I really want to risk yet more isolation to help someone I've known only for three weeks? What am I thinking?! He's my friend. Of course I'm willing to risk it!"

Ruki walked over to them and smirked, "Hey boys, I think you should leave my friend alone."

The gang stared at her for a moment, their leader asked, "Who are you?"

Her eyes narrowed in anger, "Maybe you've seen me in the newspapers? I'm the little girl who reacted to being kidnapped by holding a knife against the criminal's throat. Do you really want to mess with somebody who's willing to do that?"

She gave the group a glare she had seen Japanese gangsters give in some of the movies she wasn't supposed to see. Then she reached into her pocket and started to pull it out a knife.

It glinted in the sunlight and had a handle... The group of bullies fled in terror.

Ruki watched them flee with a triumphant smirk, then she put the knife away and went to help her friend. "I tried to get a teacher over here but she was constantly busy, I think this place needs more teachers. And maybe a video surveillance system. I'll see if I can get my mother to pay for it."

He got up on his own but then clutched his black eye. Takato said, "I'm a bit disoriented, but I can tell you where the nurse's office is so you can take me there."

She frowned and then nodded, "Sure, I'll phone the family physician if necessary. Give me a sec, OK?" She went to the teacher and lead her back to Takato. They told her what had happened, minus the part about the knife of course, the teacher said that the young 'Yanks' would soon be dealt with. The two of them went to the nurse's office.

As they entered, Ruki give several ideas how she could help him.

Takato looked rather overwhelmed by all she was trying to help him with, "You didn't have to do all this, and you certainly didn't need to rescue me..."

Ruki shook her head, "You're my friend. I know if I was being beaten up by a bunch of bullies you, would help me out by either leaping into the fray or calling the cops."

He nodded and smiled, "I'd do what I could, Ruki-kun."

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Oct, 24, 1997, Makino Home, Ruki's Room.

Ruki was on the phone, talking to her friend. "Hi, Takato. Have you heard that the folks at Bandai have finally announced the date of the "Hyper Coliseum" card tournament?"

On the other end of the line Takato smiled widely. His voice sounded giddy, "The local paper did announce it but the article was pretty brief. If you have any details, I'd like to hear them."

Ruki started gushing about what she'd heard, "Well, the tournament is called the "Digimon Grand Prix and..."

At that moment, Takato realized something, "Wait, how did your mother find out about this information?"

Ruki sighed, "OK. Last night, my mom was at a party with Bandai executives due to something I can't talk about right now. He was fairly drunk and she was his date, and started to brag about his job to his date and then they left the party he complained to my mother and said that the tournament was cursed because fate kept disagreeing with their ideas.'

Takato looked intrigued, "So instead of executive meddling, fate is meddling with the executives?"

Ruki burst out laughing and then said,"Good one, Takato!"

After she calmed down a bit, she said, "Apparently so. The tournament had a couple of very annoying problems. The guy got kind of depressed and frustrated and started drinking. Then he took my mother aside and started to rant about those problems. My mom said that he just wanted somebody to listen to him for a change. Also, he seemed to think my mom was too drunk to remember anything. The jerk called her a social climbing airhead at the end of the date. Anyway, my mom hasn't gotten really drunk in years."

Takato and seemed puzzled and asked, "So why exactly was your mother at what sounds like some kind of party for Bandai VIPs?"

Ruki replied, "Apparently, she was doing some kind of project for them. She wouldn't tell me what it was, for all I know it could be a Digimon movie."

Takato's eyes went wide, "That would actually be pretty cool."

Ruki smiled at the idea of a Digimon movie, "Let's go back to the subject at hand. So last year Bandai did an informal survey to secretly figure out the best place to put the tournament. Apparently, they are were originally going to hosted somewhere else but the person who wrote the document received two conflicting pieces of information as did the executives."

Takato seemed stunned for a moment, and replied with a puzzled, "Huh?"

"After that accident, they did several online surveys and a flood of people said that they preferred the tournament here. So the tournament is going to be in this ward as opposed to the largest one", said Ruki.

Ruki continued on, "Anyway, the executive my mom talked to thought that a bunch of people wanted the tournament to be held in the Shinjuku ward, because they wanted more business, and tipped the scales in their favor. The other executives apparently thought it was some kind of computer error but that techs couldn't find anything."

Takato blinked in surprise, "Huh, that seems to be a lot of computer errors. Ironic, considering Bandai owns our favorite franchise."

Ruki lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, "Maybe the Digimon are real and they want the tournament held here."

Takato shook his head in disbelief, "Why would that be?"

Then Ruki said,"Because they like the delicious bread your parents make?"

Takato chuckled, "Nice one, Ruki."

Ruki replied, "I learned from the best, Goggle Head."

He sighed, "Ruki, I only wore those goggles twice, once to the convention and once to a costume party my mom made me go to,"

Ruki gave him a teasing look and said, 'They looked good on you, and they were the only interesting part of your costume."

He looked exasperated and said, "That wasn't a costume, my mom just bought me the goggles and I found an outfit that matched them and wore it to the convention."

Ruki then looked sad, "Sigh, I'll have to get my pair fixed. My mom borrowed them to use as a prop for photo shoot that's connected to that project that she can't talk about. Apparently the lenses were broken by the photographer due to a hectic day, a difficult photo shoot, and a contract dispute."

Takato flinched, "Ouch... And you said they were custom-made too..."

Ruki grimaced, "It gets worse, Rumiko also tripped on the catwalk or something, and she can make a good case for both the damaged lenses and her sprained knee. Due to proof that the catwalk was set up incorrectly and Bandai had hired her and the crew she was working with."

He shook his head in sympathy, "I hope your mom is getting better."

Ruki nodded, "It was settled out of court while she was healing. She started walking again last week. Mom and I weren't allowed to talk about it until now because the out-of-court settlement was still being hashed out. I don't want to get my mom in trouble. Anyway, I don't know all the details, but mom got some kind of big concession involving her paycheck, the tournament, and a special surprise or two for me that has nothing to do with modeling or fashion."

Takato brightened up after hearing that, "That's great!"

Ruki having now invented the art of trolling, smirked said, "So the tournament starts Feb 11, next year. I'm going to start practicing harder than ever, how about you?"

Takato pumped his fist in the air, "Me too, although I wonder if there's some kind of age limit involved." He now looked concerned.

Ruki however remained upbeat, "If so, we try again next year. Like Nature Spirits: says, 'Get up and fight, lift up your claws and roar!'"

Takato nerded out for a second, "Ruki, that line refers to the Digi... I mean "Nature Spirits" the narrator is speaking about in that scene. Such a weird concept... I'd sooner believe that Digimon come from a digital realm or something than call them spirits."

Takato then heard some called his name, "Anyway, I need to go now. Mom is about to start teaching me how to make fudge brownies with peanut butter cups on top. We sell them around this time of the year to make a little extra money."

Ruki licked her lips, "Maybe I'll stop in and buy some."

Takato whispered, "I hope you do. My mom is afraid she's getting fat, even though she's not. I'm afraid my dad will go to bed with a stomach ache again if he has another midnight snack."

Ruki sighed, "My grandmother sometimes has the same problem. So my mom has temporarily banned all sweets from the house. Since she's the one who comes up with a grocery list, I have a sweet tooth that needs to be dealt with soon."

Takato smiled, "Good, that works out fine. Bye, Ruki."

"Bye, Takato."

The narrator spoke, "The year passed and then next year something went horribly wrong. Fortunately someone was looking out for her."

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Dec, 25th, 1997, 7:30 PM inside the Makino House.

Ruki frowned, "Mom, that gang of bullies at Takato's school has become more aggressive lately, likely because they have a new leader named Hideki Kojima. According to one of rumors flying around, his dad is involved in some kind of shady enterprise, and is pretty powerful politically."

Her mother sighed, "Then you should stay away from that group of Yanks."

Ruki flinched, "Mom, please stop using a word like "Yank" in that context. Since I've got dual citizenship that kind of stuff hurts, and it feels like you're kind of insulting dad and where he comes from."

The woman looked frustrated but thoughtful and then replied, "I apologize for using that terminology. That being said, I hope you'll forgive me if I slip up again."

Ruki groaned and then became somewhat fearful, "Anyway, I'm worried for Takako. He says that he heard that gang of bullies bragging at one point: Apparently, they have some kind of yearly tradition where they gang up on some poor kid on a particular alleyway and beat him unconscious. This year I'd like to stop them by either getting the police in on this or saving that kid myself. For all I know, their next victim might be Takato."

Rumiko sighed, "Well if you're so determined and the police can't do anything. I have a belated Christmas gift that you might find useful."

Ruki's face brightened up, "What is it mom?"

Her mother said, "Wait here, Ruki." The model then went to her room, opened the door, walked over to a desk and reached into it. After feeling around for a bit, she found what she was looking for. She returned to her seat and said, "I was at work a few days ago when a technician which worked at many of my photo shoots gave me a pamphlet and an offer to see a demonstration about a device that supposedly is capable of implanting memories and skills. After the demonstration, you get a free trial."

Ruki looked skeptical, "That sounds far-fetched mom, maybe they'd be able to do it by the time I was a 100 or something, but not now. What does the guy have to do the company? Wait, there was a guy following you from one shoot to another?"

Rumiko shook her head and replied, "The technician is a freelance employee of a professional photography company I tend to work well with. Apparently, he also works for the company mentioned in the pamphlet as a side job. He seeks out models as potential clients for the various devices the technology company sells."

The model gave her daughter the pamphlet which had lots of text, photos and drawings of technology, and drawings of weird, metallic, alien ruins. The redhead noted the name, "JShourai Tech: We know your digital future!"

Then she read,

"Mission Statement: Our goal is to bring the Japanese public cutting-edge experimental technology that looks like it was found intact in the ruins of an extraterrestrial empire! With brilliant researchers like Aoi Ina, Izanami Rin, and Jiang-yu Lee!" Lee was a Chinese man, and he looked reluctant in the picture but seemed resigned to having it taken.

Ruki's eyes lit up when she saw him, "Hey. that's Jianliang's dad! I met him a few times when I went to meet Takato after-school. Unlike his son, he's a nice guy, maybe a bit reserved and paranoid but still a nice guy."

Rumiko looked uncertain and said, "I'm still quite skeptical but this company has been in business for nearly three years and has a good reputation coming up with experimental technology that seems very futuristic."

Ruki seemed fascinated, "I'm willing to attend the demonstration but I'm uncertain if I'll actually end of using the device in question. I don't want to be accused of cheating if I win that upcoming card tournament, and taking such a shortcut for something like judo seems kind of pointless."

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Dec, 27, 1997, inside a laboratory at JShourai-Tech Headqurters.

Ruki and her mother were in a large room, with white walls, technical equipment, a thick transparent door that said "Company Property Room: Private", and people on black beds who looked like they were about to slide into a strange circular machine.

A tall somewhat pale woman walked over to them. She was beautiful but not typically so with a strong jaw, dark brown hair, flat nose, brown eyes, midsized dimples and thick eyebrows. She was not wearing the stereotypical scientist's lab coat. She wore a black suit covered in sensors and looked pleasantly surprised as she caught the redhead staring at the circular machine. The name tag-name on the suit said, "SenRin Izanami-Sensei: Chief Neurologist".

She spoke, "That's a device called a fMRI machine. It's used for both neurology, the study of how the brain works, and it's an important medical tool."

After introductions were made she said, "If your follow me to another room, I'll take you to where our newer imaging machines, specialized scanning equipment, and all the other relevant technology is. Once we get there, I'll explain what we're going to do and what each piece of relevant equipment is."

They walked along and Rumiko asked, "Now I know we've talked to some people and we've gone over this with our lawyer and signed a nondisclosure agreement or two but I'm still kind of nervous about what's going to happen to my daughter. I'm glad you're going to give another explanation, the ones from your company's lawyer and the pamphlet were poorly explained."

The neurologist sighed, "I'm afraid that's fairly common, explaining complex terminology and making good analogies can be hard to pull off but is necessary for explaining scientific concepts. Also, I'll have to apologize to the lawyer about giving a rushed explanation."

They walked into a room filled with several machines, including a device with a variety of sensors that looked like hair curlers, a weird bulky machine with strangely familiar symbols on it that made Ruki wonder if it was a prop from a commercial or movie, and several other devices. Doctor SenRin pointed to one of them and said, "That's one of our newer machines it's called an event related optical signal or OROS. It gets precise and timely images of brain tissue due to measurements of light reflecting off brain tissue."

Rumiko looked interested, "What other devices do you use?"

The woman was a bit excited and said, "The devices attached to the head braces are part of a machine called "Defused Optical Tomography. This device maps blood oxygen levels in the cerebral cortex with the aid of near infrared light. Detectors are also attached to the imaging equipment then pick up the information. But information is then plugged into a computer model of what's going on in the cortex. The machine has some flaws relating to accuracy in specific situations. It's also slower than we'd like, but it certainly has some advantages. It's less expensive, easier to use than traditional brain imaging technology, and can be used in individuals during movement. Therefore it's very useful and quite versatile."

She then talked about three other kinds of scanning equipment and then went over to the bulky machine Ruki had noticed earlier. The professor regarded the machine with a mixed of wonder and slight uncertainty as though she wasn't certain where it had come from or was unfamiliar with it. "This machine is our most recent and in some respects the most revolutionary device here. It's called a Haptic Hologram Generator. A haptic hologram is the real-world equivalent of a holodeck program from Star Trek."

Ruki geeked out,"Keengear, I'll get to go to school on a Wingmon or Kyubimon! Digimon team up fantasy here I come!"

The doctor ignored her and continued.

"It makes three-dimensional images solid with the aid of an electromagnetic field. With this machine, we can generate a real-time malleable three-dimensional image of a human brain and perhaps one day a full human body. It should prove quite useful for medical students and surgeons one day."

She then went over to five machines covered by a tarp monitored by three security cameras and a swarm of metallic insects. "Don't mind the insects, we call them drones. They work with the cameras and the electrified Grapene floor to protect the world's first group of quantum computers. There are of course other safeguards, but those are the main ones."

Ruki was fascinated, "This place is incredible I keep expecting someone to walk in here carrying a light saber."

The Neurologist looked at her in surprise, "The plasma blades are under lock and key in a secured vault next to the large painting of a red dinosaur my niece made for my birthday last year."

Ruki became giddy, "Sqeeee... That's so rad! Prof. Izanami, can I please use it as part of a fem-Darth Vader costume?"

"In the first place, it's a dangerous weapon no child has any business wielding, secondly we're still working on the nano-batteries to power it consistently, and thirdly it only comes in blue. For now at least."

Ruki pouted, "Ah, nutbunnies!"

Her mother rolled her eyes, "Where do you get that odd slang from dear?"

Ruki groaned, "Shesh.. Some people just don't appreciate well-written cartoons."

Prof. Izanami brought their attention back to where it was needed, "In any event, the scanning devices will be used to get a complete picture of your brain so we can figure out what makes it different from others. Next, a composite picture will be created and then compared to the 120 brains and 132 Biotic Brains we already have on file to see what makes yours unique. Then we will use a special device to stimulate your neurons so they can be identified and mapped with the aid of the five quantum computers. After that we study your brain in real time to make sure it matches the map."

Izanami looked at time for a sec, and then said, "Once we have a real-time map of where your neurons are and what their various interactions are we can figure out which ones are nonessential."

Ruki looked understandably worried, the doctor smiled reasuraly, (reassuringly) "Don't worry, We've done this nearly a 1000 times in real life and 100 times in various simulations. We experimented with increasingly complex groups of neurons in the brain until we were competent enough with that. Then we worked on animals before the Office of Medical Devices, the PMDA, Health Policy Bureau, Evaluation and Licensing Division, and Organization for Pharmaceutical Safety and Research give us premonition to start testing it on humans. After that, our main investor and the owner of the various patents, Hiroki Hagiwara, was given a grant by the Diet in late 1986 and founded the company in mid-1993."

She continued, "In any event, we'll talk to you, your grandmother, a psychiatrist or therapist, and your mother throughout this process, and you four can decide what memories you want to keep."

Ruki gave a small smile, "What happens next?"

Izanami nodded, "Then useless memories can be overwritten with false memories of you learning a new skill. Finally, we move from one skill to be other until you know a good combination of judo-Jujutsu techniques. The whole process will take six weeks, though there may be complications."

Rumiko looked worried, "Are you certain my daughter will be safe?"

The neurologist paused for a moment and replied, "The device has just passed Phase 3, and it will soon be on sale. That is if we can find a good way to market it. That's partly why we made our free offer to you and your mother. There might be some minor memory loss, but we'll make backup copies just in case. Once this free trial is over, the backup copies will be destroyed for your privacy."

Ruki said, "I'm sufficiently impressed, but where are the other researchers mentioned in the pamphlet? Dr. Lee is an acquaintance of my grandma's and I would like to meet him."

The Neurologist now looked a little jealous, "He and another colleague of mine mentioned in the pamphlet are on break."

The clock showed what time it was then the clock showed a later time, presumably after work hours. Then the focus shifted to Aoi Ina, an androgynous looking person or "shi" with brown hair but ended just above their ears, and brown eyes. Other than the androgyny Aoi seemed unremarkable, which might have been the point...

Aoi pulled out a strange looking device that resembled a walkie-talkie and spoke into it, lines of fractile code came out of it and went off to parts unknown, tiny white-blue lines came out of the device and went towards Aoi's mouth and ears, the androgynous individual listened.

They spoke, "Are you alone?"

A female voice replied, "Yes, shiluma." "Good. This is 'Instrument D35', patch me thru to 'Unit Conductor 03' please."

Moments passed, "Unit Conductor 03 here. How goes the current... Symphony?"

They smiled, "Everything is going smoothly. With the information implanted, she will survive the upcoming trial and hopefully those to follow. However..."

Unit Conductor 03 asked, "Yes?"

Aoi frowned, "There is an issue with her mind, one that if confirmed could disqualify her from being a part of 'Project:Partnership' altogether!"


	5. The Fall of Ruki Part 2

Chapter 4: The fall of Ruki Part 2.

A/N: Their are some Digimon (and maybe some human's) in-story who use Gender-Neutral Pronouns and are non-binary. From the Wikipedia article 'Gender-Specific and Gender-Neutral Pronouns': "Some groups and individuals have invented, borrowed and used non-standard pronouns, hoping they will become standard. Various proposals for such changes have been around since at least the 19th century. For example, abbreviated pronouns have been proposed: 'e (for he or she) or 's (for his/hers); h' (for him/her in object case); "zhe" (also "ze"), "zher(s)" (also "zer" or "zir"), "shi"/"hir", and "zhim" (also "mer") for "he or she", "his or her(s)", and "him or her", respectively; 'self (for himself/herself); and hu, hus, hum, humself (for s/he, his/hers, him/her, himself/herself)." Spivak (FYI, Elverson's one-from 1975) pronouns (em, eir, eirs, and ey), shi, and others (thon?) will be used by non-binary folks as needed.

I will be using some of the above pronouns in addition to one (they/them/our for bigender or agender folks) or least two others when referring to Digimon and occasionally humans if they don't identify as either male or female in gender identity or if they switch from one gender to another. Note that they and them seem to be the most popular gender pronouns and ones (at least in the west) Gender identity is of the mind/brain and is separate from the biological sex one is born with at birth. Note that I'm cisgender (male body and male gendered only), straight I am bringing this up because Digimon culture has a different view of gender then humans do during the time the story takes place. Please use the proper pronouns for each character when reviewing.

Note that Aoi AKA Unit Conductor 03 is Androgyne and uses shi, zer, zerself, and shi'loma as pronouns.

Over the course of the story Ruki and its potential sequels Ruki will be attempting to figure out who she is as a person in terms of her role/job as a Tamer, her interpersonal relationships, her bonds with her family, and the three-part problem of her orientation. Who Ruki's romantically attracted to, what gender pronouns Ruki uses, and who Ruki is physically attracted to. The themes and general happenings of the story series will loosely reflect this ongoing transformation.

This will come to a head during a more holistic AU version of an infamous and controversial scene from episode 49 ("The D-Reaper's Feast") of Tamers. Also note that I will explain any important Japanese or Digimon/Renamon Clan social customs or concepts when necessary in the story. Ether through the narrator or Impmon and any guests he may have over later on.

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." Ralph Waldo Emerson

The heavens call... The earth cries out... The crowds roar... All calling on me to strike back against evil. Now listen up, villains! I am the warrior of justice, Kamen Rider Stronger!" -Jō Shigeru as played by the late Shigeru Araki.

"Sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the war." Donald Trump.

Aoi AKA Unit Conductor 03 said, "Good. Ruki and that gang of ruffians would've come in contact with each other or a Yakuza gang eventually. At least now she will be prepared to deal with them, and perhaps about threats as well. In any event, we have a problem: the Sleep-Watchers are becoming suspicious, as are others who are interested in new gadgets, science-fiction, and the benefits of our technology."

Instrument D35 asked, "I can understand why we don't want the men in black suits around here but why we would care about people who are simply interested in technology?"

Aoi sighed, "Because our bargaining position is not nearly as strong as it once was, the civilization that gave us order and stability is gone. The only central authority left is our organization, and we are stretched thin. That is one reason why we need more human allies in the form of Tamers. They will deal with threats so we can concentrate on other fractals. But this undercover operation and its success at exploring and restoring the recovered technology is in jeopardy."

Aoi continued, "The technology boom that followed the "1980s Programmable Computer Declassification" and public "rediscovery" that led to the Microsoft empire in America. However, those PCs pale in comparison to the processing power and complexity of the adolescent Japanese Internet. It provides us with raw material, gateways, sustenance, extra energy, and knowledge. We have twenty-five old Q.C's, and one hundred and fifty Toshiba P.C's in Switzerland for backup."

Instrument D35 sounded perplexed, "Then why are we closing this place down?"

Aoi replied, "Yet, those technological advances can only hide and explain so much to a curious public. Our contact Mr. Gates may yet prove useful in distributing the old technology once it is fully redeveloped. For the moment however, we may yet need to halt our investment here until things have changed... When the endless fighting has ceased and the Black Intruders are fragmented, we can begin rebuilding at last."

Instrument D35 sounded a bit sad, "I see…. How soon are we going to close up shop?"

Aoi frowned, "Most likely, I had hoped us to continue on this fascinating enterprise. Why do you ask?"

Instrument D35 seemed torn between happiness and regret, "I've grown to enjoy myself here, there are some friendly, kind, and interesting people in this country, though their isolation, fear of foreigners, genderism, Orientationphobia, paranoia concerning their cultural identity, conformity, dullness, and the glacial slowness of social change may yet cost them dearly. They are without a socially liberal element to contrast their conservative nature."

Aoi got their talk back on task, "May I have the yearly report?"

"End of year status update: 86.3% of the preselected recovered technology has been tested and vetted here and in our other more private labs in South Korea, Iceland, the UK, the U.S. and some of our more disruptive technologies require more work at the reopened Mermaimon Research Facility at Great Whamon Island."

Aoi said, "Good."

Instrument D35 asked, "Why do we need bring this tech here anyway and what are we going to use it for?"

Aoi groaned, "I had forgotten that you are new to our organization. Unfortunately, veteran members do not always or need to explain things well. Secrecy is necessary to sometimes achieve desired results."

Aoi thought for a sec and then shi continued, "1/6% of the technology in the archives was useful only in certain micro-verses, or specific situations, and 2/6% of it often relied upon data constructs as opposed to our partly failed attempts at programmable matter. Knowing that the technology functions here means that the number of potential applications increases dramatically. As for the second part of your question…"

The 'Conductor' paused and then spoke, "Building a new civilization requires many tools, and in the long-term that technology made here will make our next great civilization powerful and versatile. It is our greatest carrot stick, and a great boon to both our worlds."

Instrument D35 sighed in frustration, "Thus for the moment, we only have special communication devices like the one I'm holding, the technology we are consistently using, the Fractile, Claytonic, and Nano Constructs, and of course the "Instruments of the Gods" our organization is named after."

Aoi hopefully said, "Hopefully the "gnomes" will continue to work as general-purpose tools until there are more specific ones are ready. Be prepared to abandon this facility by Feb, 8th, 1998. Have a credible cover story ready, perhaps a tale involving embezzlement, a fire, and bad investments?"

Instrument D35 nodded, "Understood shi. Um, what about the "Great Machine" and the employee who might have it?"

Aoi shrugged, "Very well, I will briefly explain its significance. This sacred box contains the holy objects (programs), spells (code), magical pathways (algorithms), other secrets of P.G.M. This power shaped our world into existence, perhaps even now the old gods now live within it. In the wrong hands its power would be devastating to us all."

Aoi reassured Instrument D35, "If the Quartet favors us then, Dr. 'Lee' will have the artifact in question. It is one of the two things we need to defeat the 'fat' Black Intruder, end the pointless fighting, and allow us to rebuild anew at last!"

Instrument D35 said, "Understood shi."

Aoi now gave new orders, "Find an opportunity to speak with him alone, and use the holy seal of the four directions and our own logo as identification. If Dr. Lee is the person we think he is, he will recognize them both. Explain to him the urgency. If all else fails, use your own judgment but do nothing that will get yourself sent to the Dark Area."

Instrument D35 replied with some worry, "Understood, but what will happen the next time a potential candidate is threatened by violence? Someday, we won't to be in a position to help them, and they may yet fall once more to such senselessness."

Aoi said hopefully, "Have faith in our organization, and remember that we are the instruments and shields of divine will. They have protected, advised, and nurtured us for so long. How can we help but extend to such mercy and kindness to others?"

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Feb, 2nd, 1998, inside the same laboratory at JShourai-Tech Headquarters.

Ruki tested her new abilities on a somewhat realistic dummy likely purchased by her mother. The researchers were taking notes and looked pleased.

Ruki looked at the watch she had gotten last year as a Christmas gift and saw that the time was 11:30. She muttered, "Just in time to meet Takato at the game shop and get some new cards and that magazine that promised fresh details on Bandai's mysterious new Digimon anime.

Ruki smiled and said, "I wonder how they'll top the craziness of having "Cyber Guardians" being split into three different shows focusing on three different teams. Each one created and produced in Japan, America, and Britain/Brazil respectively. I can't believe the American version had continuing story arcs, intelligent writing, and good character development..."

The redhead took her usual route and, while passing by an alley, heard a cry of pain. She turned her head and looked into the alley way. Unknown to her, several men in dark suits were looking around searching for something. On top of the two buildings that made of the alleyway were two Japanese men and two women.

They looked into the alleyway with heat sensitive goggles then they spotted the man in black and looked nervous. One of the people on the roof left silently and tossed a rock into an adjoining alleyway, hitting some cans with a loud crash. The men dressed in black went to examine the noise as the human went back to his post.

One interesting thing about all four individuals on the roofs with the fact that two of them displayed no gendered body language at all. Then the model's daughter stepped in to be alleyway and saw five people beating up someone smaller. She got within 5 feet of them, her footsteps seemingly muffled somehow. She hadn't yet realized that the wall wasn't covered by brick but by some other material that obscured it. One of the people on the roof said, "Just give us the word 'unit-leader' and those five jerks will be out cold and their limbs paralyzed."

The leader said, "Tell our bigender sniper on the third building to be ready just in case, and remind him that we're dealing with "hatchlings" so I don't want any fatalities. Have her only cause permanent injury if there is no other option. I'd prefer to have avoided the situation, but this needs to be her triumph. Today, young Ruki proves herself as a warrior and starts on her journey from card-playing child candidate to adult slayer of evil. If only our pilot program with adults had proven more successful... But some beings aren't just cut out for this kind of work."

Ruki shouted, "Stop what you're doing right now or I'll make you stop!"

The five older boys stared at her for a moment. Ruki looked surprised when she saw their leader. "You're the jerk who's been making life miserable for everybody at my school..."

The leader of the thugs sneered, "And you're Ruki, the top and scary girl who managed to bluff a bunch of stupid crooks who tried to kidnap you. You also managed to bluff my little brother at his elementary school when you dropped by. He came home complaining and fearful. You won't be able to bluff your way out of this! Nobody turns my little brother into a wimp. He's scared of you, a pitiful girl who likes this stupid card game!"

Ruki angrily looked him in the eye,"The game isn't stupid and I don't need to be a card gamer to have tricks up my sleeve. You keep beating up that kid and you're going to regret it for days to come."

He looked back at her in contempt and spoke mockingly, "What are you going to do bring out a monster from that nerdy little game?"

Ruki smirked at the thought, "That would be very, very satisfying, but I don't need a monster to beat up the five of you losers."

The leader laughed, "You do that and you'll pay dearly. My dad's very powerful."

As the argument continued, the redhead inched her way closer to the bullies and sized them up, "Your dad is probably also a mobster. A jerk who sends his son on petty collection assignments or are you just practicing for your future life of crime when you start getting people to pay protection like a greedy coward."

At this point the victim got up and tried to make a run for it but his hand was grabbed and Ruki looked angry. She was only a foot away, when she said, "You let him go to a hospital or I'm going to beat all five of you."

All five of the bullies laughed and one of them kicked the poor kid in the ribs, sending him to the ground clutching his side in pain. This same boy tried to kick the small child again but, Ruki performed a leg sweep and the jerk fell backwards. Two of the other bullies laughed at this as Ruki went to take her first good look at the younger boy. He was six years old and had broken fingers, two black eyes, two missing teeth, a broken nose, an injured jaw, and appeared to have been kicked in the leg making him limp slightly.

Understandably, he looked terrified. Ruki gave him a sympathetic look and seem to be considering whether or not to just grab him and run or confront the bullies when one of them said, "Your mom is a whore who probably doesn't care about you and spends all day catering to grinning adults who want to see her naked! Your grandmother is so old and ugly no one wants to date her..."

Ruki looked at the jerks furiously, but then calmed down with the aid of a meditation technique her mom had taught her. She turned to the boy and whispered, "I'll deal with them while you get out of here, and go to the nearest hospital. Got that?"

He nodded, "Yes sir..." Ruki glared at him and said, "Get you pronouns straight bub! I'm a girl, one who fights for justice like Kamen Rider Black!"

He looked at her in shock,"I mean, yes mam." He ran out of the alley as fast as he could.

Ruki turned to her would-be foes. As she spoke, her voice got louder until it became a shout,"Now let's get one thing right, my mom isn't a prostitute, you bunch of assholes!"

Ruki clinched her hand to form a fist and posed dramatically as the gang stared at her like she was nuts, "Nobody insults my mom and gets away with it. My mom might not seeing anyone right now due to her acting workload, but even if that weren't true, she wouldn't touch your dad with a 10 foot pole! Because he's ugly and cruel, just like his son!" Ruki smirked at her shocked and insulted audience.

Impmon laughed at her over the top antics before thinking, 'Did that bit even happen or did she embellish it later in her Partner's joint-autobiography like Luaren's ever dry-humored footnotes suggested? Do I still have my signed copy around here somewhere?'

The gang's leader had short brown hair, brown eyes, small nose, medium-sized fore-head, yellow earrings that were in the shape of the Japanese kanji for "great", had small hands, large feet, and wore a red shirt with blue pants and green shoes. He looked furious, "Forget the short idiot, let's have some fun with this cute redhead."

They surrounded her and began their attack…

The first attacker went for her legs but she twisted out of the way and performed an eye gouge, followed by joint manipulation and a striking technique that left both his arms useless. She then struck him in the solar plexus.

The four others tried to grab her but she leapt through a hole in their defenses and performed a 'link-sweep' attack that sent one of them falling to the ground.

Another got her in a headlock from the side, but she performed a sit and roll to escape it. She then got her attacker in a two handhold and broke his arm. She then performed another joint manipulation this time on his leg causing him to fall to the ground in pain.

She then retreated to the front of the alley as her nearest attacker tried a rear seizure and another attacker tried to strike the left side of her head with his right hand. She dodged the close range attack first by raising her shoulders and arms simultaneously, as she did so she stomped on the attacker's foot with a strong downward kick. She kept her other attacker at bay by tilting her head to the right and biting his fingers hard as he moaned in pain.

Then she grabbed the close attacker's right wrist with her left hand and brought the right arm up behind the elbow. This pushed the attacker's arm into a strong throw accomplished by a turning motion sending her attacker through the air back first. The attacker struck the wall and groaned in pain.

The other attacker tried again, this time it was quickly parried by stepping on her enemies' right foot with a left foot and turning to the right while pushing the arm down as he missed his target. This was followed up by a right uppercut to the chin and a nasty throat grab that forced the attacker backwards as another move caused the attacker to hard fall on his back against the concrete.

The leader held back out of fear hitting his own lackeys and the dawning realization that his blow probably would've been stopped anyway. The jerk got in a few good hits but the wounds were fairly superficial so far. He tried a front kick only for his foot to be grabbed with both hands and Ruki twisted it breaking the ankle and forcing the gang leader backwards. The leader barely managed to stand up and performed a thrust punch that only resulted in a counter attack to his ribs and a rear choke with her right arm that made him fall unconscious.

Two of the attackers had recovered. One of them tried to punch Ruki but used her left forearm to block the strike and brought her right hand down to her hip while stepping forward with her left foot. As Ruki did so, she struck with her right hand into his solar plexus as she bent her leading knee and leaned into the strike to give the blow extra momentum. She then performed a hip throw with strike that left her opponent on the ground, then as he turned his head she finished with a straight punch to the side of his head. This opponent was knocked out cold.

She dealt with the other opponent with a hopping roundhouse kick the resulted in him breaking one of his legs. She then got him in into a leg lock and squeezed him until one of his ribs broke. He then tossed her on her back but she kicked him in the face with both feet and sent him sprawling to the ground holding his broken jaw in agony.

The fight was over! Ruki had minor injuries but the procedure had worked perfectly. She had won a fight against five older males without a serious injury using an eccentric combination of jujitsu and judo! Ruki felt the high of victory and then left.

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Feb, 4th, 1998, 8:36, the same Shourai Tech lab as before.

Aio was in the room with Prof. Lee. They were both packing up to leave, when Aio seized the opportunity that silence brought and confronted the professor. "You know anything about a certain computer?"

He looked slightly startled and replied, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Aio asked, "Your name used to be Wong if I'm correct."

Lee said, "You're mistaken. My name has always been Professor Lee."

Aio rolled zer eyes, "Professor, this secrecy is unnecessary and pointless in this context. You did an excellent job of assuming a new identity but I know who you are. The Digital Interface Computer has some fairly specific requirements for keeping it up and running that can now be bought in japan. Those parts are expensive and difficult to obtain. More to the point, yesterday when I asked you about a certain programming problem, you gave me the correct answer without thinking. Now how can a man who knows little about advanced programming and much about circuity give such an answer? I'm uncertain how you were able to replace or suppress your programming skills but you didn't do as good a job as you hoped."

His eyes narrowed, then he looked trapped and fearful. After a few minutes, he seemed resigned to fate and he replied, "Fine, do what you want with me but please leave my family out of this."

Aio looked disgusted at a perceived insult and replied, "Prof. I'm not from the U.S. or Japanese governments and I am certainly not from the organization you think I'm from."

He stared at Aio, "Then who are you and why are you after the most powerful computer on this planet?"

Aio smirked, "Do the words "Instruments of the Dii Ex el Machina" mean anything to you?"

He stared at his companion in shock, "I don't understand. The Network of Instruments was destroyed years ago."

Aio shook zer head, "More specifically, it was mostly destroyed around 886 years ago from our perspective. Our organization has regrown in power and influence over the centuries nearly everywhere but the battle scared First Realm. However now we face an old threat, and due to our two great 'prizes' in Tokyo, this tech project, and two other major Ops. in Japan, much of our focus has been here. We are powerful but we will some need help. The Black Intruder is stirring!"

Lee turned pale, "Are you saying that the Intruder has escaped the Ocean?"

Aio sighed, "The phrase "Black Intruder" has fallen into more general use to describe any threat that the Divine Quartet can defeat but nut slay on their own. These threats ether require the aid of other gods, special mortal aid or can't be killed for the time being and must be sealed away until away is found to slay them. Specifically, the Red Info-Goucher has returned!"

Yet again the man turned pale, "You mean it's waking up?"

Aio nodded grimly, "It has already dispatched a scout-agent. Perhaps more than one. It is smarter than ever before. In order to defeat it, we need the lost holy program and the "Wei-Zhi 345" computer you currently possess."

Lee looked helplessly at Aio, "But I only have one fifth of it. The rest of it is with the others and I have no idea where they are except for old perfectionist himself and he could be anywhere."

Aio looked puzzled and replied, "That's quite odd. The computer has been detected. Something has gone wrong."

The Chinese man shook his head in resignation, "Something often does, one reason why we stopped our foolishness. We failed... We thought the Divine Quintet didn't need us anymore." Aio flinched slightly when the word "Quintet" was said.

He paused and continued, "When we couldn't fix the problems, we were partly responsible, for the funding was cut and the U.S government came looking for the secret to our creations, and according to our Japanese liaison, our lives were in danger. Officially, it about us wasting their money but we knew what they were really after... When we secretly came here to Japan, things were alright for a bit. We went into a kind of witness protection program. The M.E and Japan were in talks and all was well. Then the three ambassadors died and the first attack happened. People were killed! Kids were killed! We all cried."

He paused as Aio looked like Shi was about to weep. When Shi was done crying, he gave zer a guilty look and said, "Then the Diet got nervous about what our Fractal creations were capable of, and it only got worse after that idiot gave that speech and ruined everything. We watched them become what they are today. After the fighting started, we learned that we had been lied and tricked out of our old lives. It just became too much and we completely retreated from you. We then sold off 1/3 of the designs to Bandai for yen."

He stared into space for a moment and winched as old memories came forward, "Then we used the tools at our disposal to create new identities and went our separate ways. Mcroy teamed up with Gorō for a joint project in mid-1989 but it ended with three deaths in 1990 and in my last letter from any of them later that year. Only Gorō continues our work. There is more but there are pieces missing from the story. We felt helpless, betrayed, hoped that would be the end. It's looks like we were wrong. I'm truly sorry I don't have my skills any more. I do keep them close at hand though."

He glanced at his watch once more. He asked, "How did you find me?"

Shi said, "You and your allies did an excellent job, but to me you stick out like a volcano in winter. We will find the others, but it appears our task is more complex than anticipated. And at least for the moment, it is not our main priority. Regardless, do not be surprised if you receive word from your old companions."

He nodded and asked, "What if they get closer to finding us?

Shi grinned, "Should your enemies become close to discovering your new identities or where you have hidden the object I seek, I have a slip of paper with instructions for you to memorize before you burn the paper. As I'm certain you have some way to contact your old friends it necessary, pass the information along using either "New A.A" Digicode or "Standard Holy" Digicode. Either one would be sufficient as a written language undecipherable by ordinary humans."

Wong asked, "You've worked in some kind of archive or museum is a tour guide right?"

Aio blushed, "Yes. I apologize, memorizing and stating large chunks of information comes natural with such a job. I was a tour guide at the Tento Town Artifact and Media Archive and then at the M.E History Museum for many, many years. I got bored and got and accepted an offer from the Instruments."

Wong changed topics, "Anyway, I gave the machine to one of the others for safekeeping, he said something about breaking it up into seven components, but he may not have done so. The old perfectionist never did have much patience, but waiting it out is the only thing we can do for now."

Aio grinned with pride and anticipation, "We have not been idle. Things are finally starting to fall into place.

Lee sighed with relief, "Do you want the machine I possess? If so, then wish you good luck with it."

Aio shook zer head, "Keep any components you have. My superiors fear the Intruder more than they fear the Japanese government and their agents. After all, although they do have some of our tech, the further away the computer is from the Intruder, the safer we all are. Besides, there's no telling what would happen if I took even a part of the device back home. I shall have to report failure as this operation closes up."

He looked surprised, and asked, "Your organization funded all of this?"

"Yes, but technology developed here will eventually be used to rebuild our civilization and benefit both our worlds. But for the moment, we're going to have to lay low. Our attempt to keep a low profile has failed utterly. That stupid pamphlet was the last straw. It wasn't supposed to have certain phrases in it, due to an editing issue and was released too early. The 'J.M.I.B jerks' have been poking around here lately and their head thinks we're a front for the yakuza like that 'lion tavern' in Shibuya. We are going to have to scrap this entire operation."

He stared at her, "You're going to shut this company down and put all these people out of work, just so you can lie low and lick your wounds?"

Ze sighed, "It is not our intention to put people out of work. Indeed, we have already found them new..."

He gave zer angry look, "You pathetic bunch of jerks, I'm out of here!" He stormed off in disgust, taking his things with him. Aio tried to talk to him but he ignored shi and got into a taxi.

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5 days later, Ruki was at her home preparing for the upcoming tournament. She heard someone pressed the buzzer on the gate that allowed people to enter into the house. The redhead went to the window and saw the same boy she had saved earlier. He had ear length black hair, glasses, wore a cast over one arm, was dressed in comfortable clothing for the season, and looked quite nervous. She let him go through the gate and opened the door for him.

He said, "My name is Tomoya Asai and I would like to thank you for rescuing me from those punks." His stomach rumbled a bit.

Ruki smiled, "You sound hungry, if it's alright with you and your parents why didn't you stay for a bit to get something to eat. I'll call them if you'll give me the number..." The boy looked around the house and seemed impressed. His stomach rumbled again, and he nodded in agreement to the plan.

The narrator said," It would be a week before Ruki realized she had made a new friend."

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May, 10, 1998, Ruki's home.

Ruki was in her room developing card strategies when her mother slid back the door. She looked excited by something. She spoke to her daughter, "Ruki-kun, I have something I want to show you."

The redhead rolled her eyes at her mother using the right honorific more often than usual and thought, 'If she's taking me to another photo shoot, I'm going to say no. There are certain occasions well I'm fine with wearing a dress or skirt. Playing dress-up, either so my mom can convince me to follow in her footsteps or bond with me is not one of them. I was there was something we could enjoy together that isn't a comedy movie or movie-poster book.'

Her mother told her to get ready to leave and in five minutes, they did so. The woman drove her daughter to Toei Animation Co., Ltd. and they go to the waiting room outside of a voice acting studio. The mother explained to her daughter was going on. She said, "When I injured myself before the lawsuit, I was doing advance publicity for an important Bandai project as well as doing my first major piece of voice acting work."

The fact that her mother was working on a Bandai project caught Ruki's attention. She asked, "What kind of project are you talking about?" She thought, 'I don't know where this is heading but I have a few ideas. Still, I don't want to get my hopes up, for all I know the project is a Digimon fashion line. Though come to think of it, that actually sounds kind of cool.'

Rumiko replied, "The project is an animated Digimon film. The voice-over work is going to be finished up soon. However, before that happens, you're going to get the chance to voice a character that will appear in the film."

Ruki's eyes widened in surprise and an excited smile appeared on her face. After a minute, her euphoria ended and she took deep breaths for a moment or two before she calmed down. Then a thought struck her and she asked, "Wait, who I going to be playing?"

Her mother smiled reassuringly and gently took her daughter's hand, she said, "I'm unsure who you're going to be playing, though I do know the character is a human."

Ruki asked, "I wonder how anyone convinced the voice director to bring me on board? Even with the out-of-court settlement, he's probably reluctant to have me here."

Rumiko replied, "You came to their attention partly because the character has both English and Japanese lines. Also, they don't want to hire anyone else to play your character in flashback, apparently the movie is somewhat over-budget at the moment. Getting someone to sound like a little girl is relatively easy, but getting someone to sound like a convincing little girl is much more difficult. During a brainstorming session among the voice actors, I suggested you for the part. The director was somewhat reluctant to hire a coached but inexperienced actress. However, he considers your father's last major work to be a cult classic and the higher ups think that using you as a voice actress would be good publicity."

After waiting for an hour someone came to get them, and they went into the studio. Both of them were nervous, though Ruki seemed to feel more anxiety that her mother, who was used to acting.

At first, the two of the watched other voice actors perform and play off each other through a glass window into the studio's performance booth. However, this simply made Ruki more nervous because she saw the more experienced voice actors get into their character physically and mentally. Some of the more talented ones were putting on quite a show as the voice director nodded approvingly of the latest successful take. On the wall was a poster showing the project they were currently working on.

Apparently the movie was entitled, "Digimon beware, All Tamers gather! The Card Champions against the Dark Tamers!" Ruki looked intrigued and she thought, "What's a Tamer? Huh, I've never seen those characters before. Still, I'm glad one of the main characters is a girl. I hope she's not the guy's love interest.'

After a few more minutes passed, the voice acting session was winding down and the girl grew more nervous. The tomboy looked down at the floor and said, "Mom, I don't know how good I am at acting or voiceover work."

Her mother let go of her own nervousness and said, "You should give yourself some more credit. You're going to do fine, and the part is only in three scenes anyway."

A few minutes later, the voice director went over to them and shook their hands. He said, "I take it you are Makino Rumiko and the young lady is Makino Ruki?"

They both nodded and the vocal director asked, "Do either of you have a voice acting experience?"

Rumiko nodded slightly and said, "I've been to several VA auditions over the years. I've had a few VA minor roles, and I did voiceover work for a few commercials before I hit it big and decided to focus exclusively on live-action acting."

The director turned his attention to Ruki, who cleared her throat and said, "When my mom made a big as a model, she insisted that I get some vocal training in case I was ever interviewed. I've helped my mom rehearse for a few roles and I'm a major Digimon fan. I'm not as knowledgeable as my friend Takato, but I can hold my own in a trivia contest."

The director gave her a thoughtful look and said, "Well, I've always wanted to win one of those. As you could understand, I'm somewhat reluctant to have you work on this picture, in spite of this I hope you turn out to be capable of giving a decent performance. For the moment, we'll do some tests to see how much work will have to do in order to get you ready to play the role, whether you're more suited for another minor character or if giving you a narrator job might be a better idea?" He was silent for a second.

Ruki dragged him out of his thoughts by asking, "Director-san, what part of my going to be playing?"

The director looks slightly caught off guard, but recovered saying, "Your job will be playing one of the villains. A female enforcer for the Dark Tamer's You'll learn more about them when you get your own copy of the script."

Ruki grinned widely, "Awesome, I get to play a villain. I bet she's cool, mysterious, and chews scenery like a hungry goat."

The director went to a table and looked at a script, even came back with a slight frown.

He replied, "Actually, your character is a jerk who believes that Digimon exist only to fight and that friendship ends in pain."

Ruki looked disappointed, but tried to hide it, "Oh… I guess that's fine too. I kind of believe the same thing, at least as far as hypothetical real-life Digimon go. Who knows, maybe it will be fun being a jerk?"

The director gave her reassuring smile, "Apparently, the woman who is going to write the manga tie-in already came up with the back story for her and there are hints of this in the movie as well. I suspect if this movie does well and there is a sequel or role will get, and you might get a chance to reprise the role if the performance is good enough."

Ruki's face lit up once more, "That sounds awesome! Anyway, will I get to meet the other actors at some point?"

He smiled warmly, "You're lucky in a way, not all of the actors get to interact with the main cast in the same booth. With your part being a foil to one of the main characters, that's probably going to happen."

Ruki grinned like a cat that just spotted its prey, "All right, autograph city here I come!"

Rumiko grinned as well, happy to have found something to bond over at last.

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Jun, 15, 1998, Matsuda house/bakery.

Ruki and Takato were having a sleepover on the weekend. Ruki walked into her friend's room and saw some papers on the table, some of them were drawings of various humanoid Dragon designs. Some features of the designs were reoccurring, such as red scales with a white scaly belly and chest, and a set of gills on either side of the head. What appeared to be the most recent design had a list of names surrounded by a circle on the left side of the drawing. Three of the names were crossed out and five remained. Other design-drawings were of other official or popular fan-made Digimon. Ruki recognized a few of them from the most recent incarnation of her friend's sketchbook.

Ruki looked at the designs and seemed impressed. "These are cool. Have you come up with a final design for the Dragon one?"

Takako sighed, "I have a general idea of what I want from that design but I'm still working out many of the details. Two things are bothering me more than anything else."

The tomboy looked serious and asked, "What are they?"

The budding artist looked at first his friend, then the drawings thoughtfully. "Whether the claws of the Dragon should be white or gray and whether or not it should have three fingers or four. Having only three fingers looks cooler but having four, including a thumb, would let my Digimon manipulate objects and possibly hold a weapon if need be."

Ruki winced slightly, "Ouch… That sounds like a tough call. Having something that looks cool and edgy is important, particularly in this day and age. That being said, from a practical standpoint, giving your creation of thumb would be a good idea. If I remember correctly there a little bit of precedent for Dragon-Type Digimon having fingers, Wargreymon being the obvious example. Actually, if you went with that design you could have the best of both worlds."

The fan boy shook his head. "I already considered that idea, but rejected it. I did so partly for reasons of practicality, and partly because the bladed claws didn't look right to me. It was also used in a recolored and repackaged Wargreymon action figure, which I recently saw the commercials for. Both of a previously mentioned concerns jumped out at me and I've had trouble with them ever since. "

Ruki looked at the drawings and thought for a minute or two before she replied, "Well, as if for the issue of what color the claws should be. Grey looks nice, but white stands out more and if you decide to add some black at some point the claws will make a good contrast to that. "

Takako opened his sketchbook and jotted down a few quick notes and a simplified drawing that he spent the next few minutes coloring the drawing in. Ruki watched him in fascination and whistled when she checked her own watch and whistled at how much he had accomplished in only a few minutes.

For a moment, he looked at her in surprise and gave a small bow as he blushed in embarrassment. Ruki chuckled softly at the action. Over the next few minutes, the two of them exchanged ideas about how to solve the issue about how many fingers the fan-made Digimon should have. Takato occasionally acted out the Dragon-type, Ruki tried to do the same thing but insisted on creating a tail to get the movements right. During her first trial, she tripped over her tail and fell on her back. Takato burst out laughing. The two of them rough housed for a few minutes before Ruki tried to teach her friend a few martial arts moves only for the two of them to get their arms entangled, resulting in them falling to the floor. Both of them laughed at their predicament before deciding to get back to the problem of the fingers, now that their break from it was over. Ruki joked that it was probably safer than what they had been doing anyway. This got a light chuckle out of both of them.

Takato proposed an idea. "What if he has four fingers, but there covered by three fingers that are manipulated manually? Kind of like how fingerless gloves are sometimes covered by mittens."

Ruki mulled the idea over in her head before proposing to others, "What about hiding the some inside a pocket covered by a flap of skin? Alternatively, the design could have just three fingers, but one of them could be an opposable thumb, like with Renamon. The difference being that it could also serve as a regular third finger when not needed. "

Her friend looked intrigued, "Both ideas have merit, indeed all three of them do. Part of the problem is that I keep giving design impractically long claws. Maybe I should make them retractable with help from scale-skin flaps or simply shortened them. Also, I think I'll use the one that's the most realistic and practical for the real world and reserved, but changeable joint concept for the digital one. As for the "fingerless glove covered by a mitten" idea, I think I'll save that for our creation's later evolutions."

Ruki asked, "Are there any other design issues you're having problems with?"

"Well, I am on the fence about whether or not to include a black symbol of some kind. Maybe a hazard sign or something?"

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Jun, 15, 1998, Ruki's home.

Ruki lifted up the phone, and shouted into it, "According to the studio rumor mill, the new Digimon show has the roles reversed. Humans are the companions of Digimon and they both live in a digital world. That's not the weird part. Humans are also made out of data and have special attacks and the Digimon don't!"

Takato groaned and said a bit of Japanese slang, "Are! Did you just make up that sentence?"

Ruki sighed, "No, I didn't make up that sentence... The idea is stupid and I can't imagine anyone green lighting the series much less anyone watching. Judging from what I saw during a sneak peek last week, it's not even well executed in the first episode. Probably doesn't make much sense in context either."

Takato sighed back, "The only good things are the "Tamers" movie that's double billed with the last "Cyber Guardians" movie and that 77 min crossover special on tv."

Ruki smiled warmly, "I think you'll like "Digimon beware, All Tamers gather! The Card Champions against the Dark Tamers!" and I'm glad I had a part in making it. Even if it was a small one and I can't really talk about it until after the film is out."

Takato nodded, "Good to hear some good news."

Ruki changed the topic, "Anyway, Asai Tomoya-kun wants me to meet him near your school. Specifically the same alley way we first met in."

"Huh? " The young boy sounded very nervous and, he looked at a sheet of paper, one that said "Design a Digimon Contest."

Ruki looked serious, "Apparently, he wants to get some closure about what happened to him there. His therapist thinks it's a good idea if I tag along. I'm worried, Tomoya-kun sounded off a bit. Could you come down with me?"

Takato reacted with shock as he saw something on the contest forms about copyright information and realized something he had done. The girl on the phone raised an eyebrow and then put the thought out of her mind.

With some nervousness, Takato replied, "Aren't you being a bit paranoid?"

Ruki laughed bitterly, "I've been kidnapped, fought bullies, and my mom is a famous and wealthy woman. There are people in black suits walking around who may or may not be from the government. I've had people follow me around and my house was broken into last week, I've been being given fighting skills by a group of scientists, and a new guy at the card shop offered me $25,000 for a certain signed set of cards I own. He held me against the store wall when I told him I'd given you one of the cards. His touch was really cold. In my case, being paranoid is more like me being alert because of all the crazy stuff that's happened over the past two years. I hope it doesn't get any worse..."

Takato paused in shock. A minute later he said, "I understand, maybe we shouldn't go to that alleyway today... I've got a surprise you might be interested in..." He looked at one of the drawings in his hand, a bright orange wing could be clearly seen.

Ruki frowned, "I'm not going to disappoint my friend, and I understand what it's like to need closure on something. Besides, the gang that beat up my friend there is in no position to hurt anybody right now. Mom pulled some strings and says that many of the bullies are fought are still In the same nearby hospital and they've been grounded anyway. Apparently the gang leader's dad is really ticked at his son getting beaten up by a 10-year-old girl."

Takato sighed,"Alright."

Ruki said, "And bring that Lee guy with you too. I'm starting to like him. For all I know, we might need his help."

Takato gritted his teeth in anger, "Stop being so angry with him, yeah he's a bit standoffish and his sense of moral righteousness sometimes makes him inflexible and smug. Still, he's actually a nice guy, and even if you don't agree with his pacifism I know he would never abandon a friend or someone who is being bullied. I think we would call the police at the very least."

Ruki groaned, "I've mostly forgiven him for what he once did to me by now. In any case, I called that P.I mom used before, but his new Sec. says that he's busy as a witness in a court case or something. I'd call the police but we don't have that much to go on outside of the fact that I feel something's wrong."

Takato said, "Besides, according to the television, there's been some kind of explosion near the Municipal Electronic Records Building so they're busy anyway."

Takato still seemed nervous and seized on the topic. He shook his head and said, "My mom has a passing interest in architecture and it always baffled her as to why Kenzo Tange chose not to use his original design for the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building and used it for that building instead. Apparently, he doesn't like to talk about it."

Ruki asked, "Why do we need a separate building to store government information and property? I guess that's just bureaucracy for you."

Takato replied, "Every time I walk by there, there are men loading cages or something else weird into crates. I think my dad said that the building had spaces for rent to private businesses. The owners ranged from an exotic animal transportation business to a tailor shop that caters to government employees to a company that regularly field tests mobile satellite dishes."

Ruki said, "I don't know much about politics but that sounds like a waste of good money... That being said the building sounds almost like a self-sufficient community."

Takato replied, "For all we know but might have been the intention. Anyway, I'll see you soon and I'll tell my parents were I'm going. In addition to what the situation is and then contact Jian and tell him to meet us there."

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Jun, 15, 1998, Alleyway.

Ruki walked up to the alleyway with Takato and looked around. The sky was partly cloudy, covering the alleyway in shadows. She saw no sign of her other backup. A man walked out of it. He was a tall Japanese man and looked strong. He glanced back at the alleyway in regret and stared at Ruki and Takato in horror and guilt before turning to leave. Takato seemed stunned, and thought, 'What is Juri's dad doing here? Are those old rumors about his real job true? Poor Juri.' Ruki looked at her friend with concern, "Do you need to take a rest for a bit?" Then after a minute, the clouds begin to part a bit and Takato went ahead. After a bit he tripped and nearly fell, Ruki ran over to him and spotted something outside the alley: A glint of light on the ground.

At first, she thought it was a beer bottle or some other piece of trash. Then she realized it was a signed foil card with "Badrock" from Youngblood Adventures on it, one of seven that her father had given her as a gift on her fourth birthday. She had given it to Takato as a symbol of their friendship when they both went over to her house on Christmas Eve.

She was surprised to find the card there but not surprised by what was underneath it. It would not be out of character for her friend to seek inspiration wherever he could find it. After all, this place had been the site of an epic fight. She could just see him sketching it out and laughed softly.

Underneath the card was a somewhat damp and hastily made sketch of a red dinosaur with light sabers. Ruki chuckled to herself, "I can't believe he actually went through it. Such a silly idea but I guess he could make it work with his sense of design. I'll have to ask him about it later." She put the drawing and the card in her pocket to return later.

Ruki went ahead for just a bit. Takato and Ruki heard a cry of pain and a familiar voice begging for help. They ran into the alleyway. Then from out of the shadows came her friend Tomoya, His eyes appeared to be red from crying and his face was full of regret. "I'm so sorry, Ruki. We're in debt to a loan shark. The loan shark's boss's threatened to beat me and my mom up and make us part of a protection racket if I didn't lure you here."

Ruki stared at the boy in shock for a few moments. Then she recovered and light from several flashlights entered her eyes. Ruki's eyes probed the darkness and shock returned to her face as her own small flashlight revealed seven other forms. The figures were wearing antiquated clothing that made them look like 30s gangsters, had ornate tattoos called Irezumi, and some had prosthetic fingers. The girl recognized them immediately and turned pale. The redhead thought, 'Oh crap, Yakuza Guerantai...'

Takato starred at the Yakuza members in shock, then he looked around as he felt he was being watched from a door near him. The boy turned to run away but stopped as light went into their eyes again. The two of them heard a door open near Takato and somebody ran past her and grabbed Takato. Ruki heard a noise and turned around briefly. She saw him running away.

One of them, slightly older than the others, spoke, "I'm Takaya Kiryu, you beat up my little brother. I and my father are not happy about this so you are going to pay for what you've done. And don't think we don't know about your little enhancements. They won't help you. For you might be able to take down one or two of my men, but you are not fighting a bunch of yanks. These gentlemen here are very good at hand-to-hand combat, be at street fighting or traditional martial arts."

He paused for a moment and Ruki saw her friend Takako peering from behind one side of the ally. The sound of a police car was briefly heard from the left side of the alley, and for a moment, Ruki hoped that her dear friend would go for help. However, he ran off in the opposite direction. The redhead has a look of shock and this turned to anger after a few moments.

Then she saw the glint of metal and some of the leader of the group pulled back his coat to reveal the familiar sideways L-shape of a gun. Ruki backed away and tried to make a run for it but a shot was fired that nearly missed her leg.

The tomboy stopped and turned her head, as Kiryu spoke once more. "Try that again and it might not be your leg I aim for. As you can see, I and my associate to the left prefer pistols to hand-to-hand fighting, should you somehow defeat at least four of them our guns will speak. All the fast moves in the world cannot outrun a bullet. That's something your friend is smart enough to see. He does what we tell him to."

Ruki sneered, "I'd rather be dumb than a traitorous lackey, you jerk."

Kiryu smirked, "Be thankful but I'm giving you some chance to defend yourself. My father said that it will make your defeat more painful. My brother agreed, I do not but I will follow my father's orders nevertheless."

Kiryu turned to Tomoya and said, "Young man, your usefulness has ended. You may leave now. I don't shoot kids as a general rule, too much attention and outcry. Once your friend is gone, prepare for the beat down of your life!"

Ruki looked at her "friend", clenched her fist, and glared at the boy. She said, "Friends don't betray friends... I hate you, if I live through this, you can expect a black eye and a broken nose from me."

The boy shuddered for a moment and walked away. As he did, the child couldn't look his "friend" in the eye. He left the alleyway with barely a sound.

For a few moments, there was silence, then the fight began. When the fight ended, two men were out cold and a third was incapacitated, Ruki had taken several punches and kicks and had been cut with a knife. Some of those scars would not heal properly. Particularly on her wrists, right shoulder, left thigh, and left-hand.

With her last ounce of strength, Ruki grabbed a knife laying on the ground and stabbed it into the hand of her attacker and knocked him off his feet with a leg sweep. Then he tried to get up but Ruki pushed him backwards and hit his head with a trashcan lid that had fallen over. The older man looked at the unconscious man.

The leader's right-hand man turned to him and said, "Does that count?" His boss nodded and the man raised his gun and fired. His aim was off by three inches. He said, "I tried to graze you the second time, and I missed under orders the first time. This time your dead! Give it up, and take your beating you brat!" He raised and aimed his gun at her head as his boss gave him an odd look, "I told you not try to shoot her fatally. You idiot, do you want a public outcry and increased pressure on our family?"

The other man's shrugged. He said, "Your dad said otherwise, and he out ranks you." and started to pull the trigger when he dropped to the ground as a low and unfamiliar sound was heard. Kiryu looked down and stared, blood was soaking out from the man's shirt. His boss felt for a pulse but there was none. Ruki was taking a breather and had noticed a man falling, some blood on the ground but wasn't aware of the cause.

She turned her head towards the exit of the alley and ran. The now angry boss raised his gun then looked at it for a moment and then decided against it, rushing after her. However, a fireball whizzed past his face barely missing his nose and the man stopped short for a few moments. By now, the girl was almost 5 feet away and the man drew his gun intending to shoot her in the leg. Before he could do so he was struck by a large amount of electricity, followed by the swipe of claws, and a strong gust of wind sending him flying back against the side wall of the alley.

This was followed by a blinding flash of light, and searing pain from several parts of his body. After the light subsided, he looked around and saw that both his arms were pinned to the wall by strange shards, his legs were struck by a thin coat of acid and his arms were burning from flames. A low hum was heard but then it stopped. He could've sworn he heard two groans of pain and the sound of a body dropping to the floor.

He then heard a noise and looked up at his face turned as white as his victims had been: a multidirectional camera had observed the entire fight there was nothing he could do about for the moment.

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In an office somewhere, a blonde haired man with a black suit and sunglasses received a phone call. Whatever the person on the other end was saying it made the man give an exasperated groan and he said, "Great, now they're picking fights with gangsters instead of each other. And what do you mean one of them was killed with a sniper rifle? They don't use sniper rifles. It would be superfluous. Sigh, I'll assemble a team to take care of things before the cops get called in. They'll have to work fast. Wait, are you trying to tell me there's a camera and it probably caught everything?"

He sighed, "Find out if the camera links to a video monitor. If it doesn't, unscrew it with your toolkits and take it to the van which will soon park at your location. The footage could be useful and if edited correctly will help with the cover story."

He reached into his desk and pulled out a small black phonebook and dialed a number.

A few hours later he reached into his desk again, and pulled out a phone number lying next to a well-worn collection of H.P. Lovecraft stories. Over the number were the words "Ootori "Riley" Reika". He clicked a lighter, and groaned softly, "It appears I will have to cancel my date with dear Riley. I was looking forward to it too... He slammed his fist on the desk in anger and started to dial a number.

When he was done with the phone, he clicked his lighter and thought, 'Oh Wild Ones, the disruption, destruction, and disorder you cause never ceases to amaze and anger me. You will pay for what you've done to this city and my old team. But with inspiration from Lovecraft, my own programming skills, perhaps a larger budget for construction, and much mass-produced weaponry... I may yet destroy you all! You will not harm civilians, my love, and the friends I have made here on my watch.'

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Strange men in black suits came around, and "cleaned up the mess" as they put it. This scene was cleaned, and restaged. They said that if he told anyone what had really happened he would be endangering "national security", and be arrested for treason. They gave him a story and then freed him, before knocking him out cold. He woke up and heard sirens. He looked around and saw something written on the wall next to him in Japanese: We have killed far more people than you, leave her alone or face beings who command missiles, the elements, lasers, stronger materials than any you have heard of, and information that will put you on death row. Good luck explaining this to your father, fool.

After three minutes had passed the message disappeared, the gangster stared at the wall in disbelief and anger.

The narrator spoke for the first time in a while, "In Japan, the police and the media call the Yakuza, the Bōryokudan or "violent groups". Yakuza have a complex organizational structure. The leader of a syndicate is called "kumicho" or "oyabun". Those directly beneath him are called saiko komon (senior advisor) and so-honbucho (headquarters chief). The second in the chain of command is the wakagashira (First Lieutenant), who governs several gangs in a region with the help of a fuku-honbucho who is himself responsible for several gangs. The regional gangs themselves are governed by their local boss, the shateigashira (Second Lieutenant). The Sumiyoshi-kai is the primary syndicate in Nishi-Shinjuku, and 'Guerantai' means hoodlums.

A newspaper headline reads, "Son of powerful Bōryokudan "Sumiyoshi-Kai" fuku-honbucho (Violent Group "Sumiyoshi-Kai" 'Scene Clean-Up and Maintenance Officer') found wounded in alleyway after humiliating defeat."

A photo showed an enraged Kiryu against a wall with officers looking on in puzzlement and varying degrees of amusement at the sight.

The story read, "Today at around noon, the son of a major inter-ward gang leader was found mysteriously pinned to a wall, amid his unconscious brethren. Police sources state that a key found in the leader's pocket that to a warehouse filled with narcotics, and kakuseizai (meth/speed) was found on the man's fingers. The current police theory seems to be that the leader shot his lieutenant during a major drug deal gone wrong. However, rumors are circulating throughout "Sumiyoshi-Kai" circles that the entire gang was beaten up by an unidentified 10-year-old. This only adds to the humiliation and bizarreness of the entire situation. The criminals were arrested on drug dealing charges and three other counts. One man claimed he was attacked by a Tailmon, a character from the popular Digimon television franchise. This seems to confirm with the narcotics deal theory. In addition, police say they have a security camera that contains a humiliating and impressive fight. The footage may yet cause additional charges to be drawn up."

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1999, May, 10th, Fukuoka-shi Ward.

In an apartment, a boy was playing a familiar battle monster card game against his bored-looking dad. He turned his eyes to a Cyberdriamon card and smiled warmly at it. He played it as part of a combo and won the match. His dad went back to playing a Wonderswan VG-device. He then went back to his room and turned on his PC. Unknown to him, he was being watched by two of drones outside his bedroom window. The drone pilots were on the roof, observing the footage.

One was female. The other was androgynous. Both of them were wearing black suits with sensors and night vision goggles. The female one turns to the androgynous one and asks, "So, we're sure he is the target?"

Her androgynous counterpart replied, "Absolutely, I met his counterpart briefly. That Cyberdriamon of his is the only thing standing between us and the prophesied return of the Future Tyrant. The Cyberdriamon's's got four teams of Chosen Children and Partners, three Gods, two Exos-Generals with full armies, and three Tamer units working in shifts to guard him right now. Furthermore, we keep switching him and his parents and partner with their counterparts every so often to make it more difficult for those trugs to get access to either him or his partner. Gen. O. . insisted upon those precautions herself. That being said, this fellow needs some training badly. And the back-streamed Skulla-Data says that he's the first one to go. Did you already given the card?"

The black suited female responded, "Yes, but he hasn't used it on the right reader yet. I made certain his old one broke, and put several of the correct devices at us the store that his mom goes to often. I did have other plans in case that didn't work, but it did. All we have to do is wait…"

A few minutes, later the drones detected a telltale energy signature and a strange shining light came from a PC screen in the Akiyama residence.

The androgynous figure on the roof touched their ears and activated a verbal communication device. The androgynous being said, "Spread the word, the first phase of "Project-Partnership" has begun. Tell the Holy Messengers to relay the information to the Yggsdalle Administrative Council and have them bring "A-01 Ryo" to the same location as his counterpart. Let the training begin!"

The female standing next to him said, "I don't envy that child. When he hears the full story, it's going to hit him hard. Juri likely isn't going to have it easy either but at least things will be a bit easier for her here, Ruki's descent to the darkness has begun and I pity the poor Digimon she ends up partnering with, Takato's going to be put through the ringer too if I read the data right, and young Henry is due for a nasty shock. This world is like a darker, edgier version of all those that came before it, and those kids have their work cut out for them when it comes to protecting it. There are many things I wish I could tell them, but it wouldn't make any difference. Still, this Digital World has such potential, as does this version of Tokyo. Maybe I'll stop on by here in a decade during my next vacation and see how things have turned out. Should be interesting to see what changes have happened."

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Mar, 11, 1998, Kitagawa home, Kenta's room.

A Japanese kid was looking at a recently purchased magical girl poster with glee. Kenta shyly looked in the mirror and frowned as an involuntary shudder happened. Kenta then went over to a plastic bag containing a new set of Hyper Coliseum cards and sighed.

The young boy thought, 'Why did I buy this game? I don't really like card games. I'm more of an online role-player, consplayer, and amateur chief. I always hang around Hirokazu and Takato and they are both fans of the gameing franchise. Sigh, Takato isn't the only one who creates 'fanmons', I did it first. My MarinAngemon could beat that Dragon-thing he's working on any day!

Wait, should I have gone with my original design? Nah, who wants another silly recolor anyway! If only I could be more like Hirokazu in my brashness and have the courage to be more like I truly am...'

The scene changed to the residence of Shiota Hirokazu and his parents, a meal was about to begin, and the family's heads were bowed in prayer. Above the mantelpiece was a rosary and cross. The family finished praying and began eating heartily as many laughs are heard around a joyous dinner table.

The scene changes once more to a family restaurant called the 'Shishi no Katou' Tavern. The restaurant was busy and an exhausted little girl took a break to go speak to her father. However, as she goes to his office, she heard him speak. Inside he puts down some Oicho-Kabu cards and some tattoos are seen briefly.

He shouted, "Why are you blaming us for what happened? As long as you yanks keep your noses out of our territory we get along just fine. But there's a third party involved in this, maybe the marubo. Maybe the guys from the Tokyo Metropolitan Records Building are more than they seem to be. Regardless, I'm telling you, territorial squabbles may be the least of our concerns. I'm no kigyo shatei, you yank! You lay one hand on my daughter, son, or my new wife and I'll break you in half and then mail your head to your new boss!"

The girl shuttered for a moment at her father's anger and threats on her behalf.

She thought, 'Why do we keep turning a blind eye to this? Dad is a crook and once Mom was gone he replaced her with my new 'mom'. She's nice, but I don't really trust her. Who knows what she did before my dad met her?

One of these days the two of them are going to get us all in trouble with the police or my father's 'business rivals'. Just like my mom did, I want out…'

A hand gently grasped the girl's and pulled her away from the office. The girl looked up and saw her frustrated stepmother feeling guilty for a moment. Then she accepted her burden once more and tried to look for daughter in the eye. The girl refused to give her the satisfaction and the stress of the day, combined with yet another round of rejection from her step-daughter made the woman cry for a few moments as the child felt guilty, if only for a moment.

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Mar, 18, 1998. Minoka Family net worth: 672,261,450.7 Yen/5,497,546 U.S Dollars.

Ruki looked angry at the guilty looking "friend" in front of her. She had a wide variety of injuries, though none of them were permanent except perhaps the scars on her arms that were now covered up by yellow wristbands. "As far as I'm concerned I'm very lucky to get out of that "meeting" without a broken arm or neck. The only reason I did so was because one of them collapsed and I managed to get away before they could start really working me over. That being said it's all your fault, like I said before you are a pathetic coward!"

The young man with glasses replied, "But those gangsters told me that they would hurt or kill me and my mom if I didn't cooperate by including us in their protection racket."

Ruki groaned, "I think you're getting your yakuza "classes" mixed up, the lower ones do the protection rackets and would have would've beaten you up on orders from the actual gangsters. In any event, your situation is like being blackmailed or having someone you love kidnapped. The longer it takes for you to go to the police, the more dangerous and difficult the situation becomes."

Tomoya asked, "How do you know this stuff?"

Ruki rolled her eyes, "According to my dad, back during the 80s in the U.S it was a rite of passage for little boys to watch RoboCop, even though they weren't supposed to be doing so. The same thing is true for me when it comes to yakuza films. Admittedly the analogy is not an exact one but..."

He give her a puzzled look, "Why did you want to talk to me anyway?"

Ruki snarled, "To give you the courtesy of delivering you the following message in person: I can't trust you anymore, and while I can understand why you did what you did, I still consider it to be an immensely cowardly act. Therefore... I don't want to be your friend anymore and I never want to see you again..."

He looked like he was going to protest when she spoke again, "The only reason why I don't give you a good punch in the jaw myself is that you're the victim here too. My dad probably wouldn't approve of me beating up a victim of criminals. Now get out of my sight, you jerk!"

The boy wept for a bit, got up, bowed, and then left in tears.

The redhead gave a sigh and said, "I still need to talk to Takato. I can't wait to hear what his excuse is... If anything he might be a bigger coward than that little wuss. I can't be friends with someone who just abandons someone they care about. You think somebody who thinks that Digimon can be befriended and are essentially superheroes would behave a little more bravely in the face of danger."

The colors turned to evening and Ruki and Takato were watching the end of a commercial for an upcoming movie. Ruki seemed partially distracted and tense…

Ruki said, "Well, that was interesting trailer, it barely gives us any information and leaves so many questions unanswered. That being said it does want to make you learn more."

Takato nodded, "True, I want to know who these "Chosen Children" are and what they have to do with that mysterious group that apparently builds them their equipment."

Ruki faked a smile, "I'm more intrigued by the other Digimon movie it's being double billed with. I'm just glad they have a female secondary leader this time. The idea of having a Pilxmon for a mentor sounds interesting."

Takato grinned broadly, "Between this and the Digimon crossover OVA things are looking up."

Ruki frowned, "Anyway, there's something we need to talk about..."

Takato asked, "What is that?"

Ruki took a deep breath and said,"When I was in that alleyway, I saw you. You saw me surrounded by a group of yakuza, who were planning to do who knows what me and you just ran away!"

Takato held his hands up defensively, "I can explain! Mr. Tadashi dragged me away from there! I told him that we needed to get help, but I think he just wanted to get himself and me away from there."

Ruki shot her friend a confused look, "Who is that?"

Takato sighed and said, "He's Juri's dad."

Ruki blinked at this new info,"Oh!"

Then she said, "Anyway, don't try and shift the blame on to someone else. I didn't even see Mr. Tadashi there, liar.

Takato groaned, "I'm not lying."

Ruki looked him in the eye, "Sigh, when you fled, I was angry at you. However, I had hoped you were going to get the police or some authority figure. Instead you just ran, you once said we're the champions of boys and girls. Well, you're no Digimon…"

He stared at her in shock, "What?"

Ruki grit her teeth in rage, "Like Lee, you're the kind of person who flees the scene knowing that your best friend is about to be attacked by a bunch of crooks. I thought you wanted to be a hero, but instead your pathetic coward... You betrayed me, you hurt me, you left me to die, and I hate you... If Digimon ever turn out to be real, I'll have my partner beat yours into the ground..."

Ruki left Takato's house, and both wept at each other's betrayal.


	6. The Enigmatic Renamon! Ruki's New Goal!

"[The superfluous man is]...not just...another literary type but...a paradigm of a person who has lost a point, a place, a presence in life." Scholar David Patterson.

"Its hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember." Unknown.

"Every time you win, you're reborn; when you lose, you die a little." George Allen Sr.

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Feb, 15, 1999, morning at the Akiyama House.

Ruki looked at the television and smiled at a commercial, showing footage from the TV-movie "Digimon Tamers: A Digimon Quest across D-Worlds". Tamers had long been an important part of the franchise The commercial depicted a male and female tamer with strange, thick, cylindrical, metal gauntlets. Both Ryu and Ruki seem to be familiar with the characters and their equipment. According to the commercial gauntlets were "proto-Digivices" called Vertavolve Arms and had been extensively modified since pair last appearance in another movie.

On the table there was a notebook with a crude drawing of the outer shell of the device inside of it. All the parts were labeled by someone else. There were also designs for a cosplay outfit that featured a similar but far more simplistic metal glove. The rest of the outfit was plain and simplistic, with one written note stating that it should seem drab, thrown together, and scavenged. It was centered on the dark gray/puke green pants. Finally, the outfit should include the somewhat would like that had been consistently popular amongst Digimon fans ever since they had first appeared in Cyber Guardians.

The male's gauntlet had a laser gun attached to it on the front and the female's had regular triangular double-edged blade on the front of her gauntlet. An open shonen(boy's)-anime mag on the table showed an internal view of the blade with parts labeled. It had tiny holes, a hollow tube inside, a "lithium-ion" battery and a fan the other end that allowed plasma blade to form. They also had Holy Rods on the right side of their hips and a card holder on the other side. They wore blue and sliver long-sleeved uniforms laced with technobabble stuff called "flexible wire-shaped microsupercapacitors" that partly powered the gauntlet. They wore white boots and black gloves. In one shot, likely a flashback, they had grey metal masks and at one point yellow capes as well.

At the same time both Tamers said, "Let's Card Slash... Slash for your life!" As they did so, the cards they held were surrounded by a, green glow and with a "slashing" motion the cards were driven through the slot.

The redhead said, "Owning one of those things would be awesome! Though I think they be kind of hard to mass produce."

A male child with brown hair briefly glanced downward at a meal tray and the food he had just finished making and thought, 'Ordinarily I wouldn't be doing something like this but this is a big day for both of us, no matter who wins. Besides, my aunt said it was okay. I don't think she's going to tell my parents and I'm pretty certain Ruki won't tell her often absent mom. With my parents traveling a lot to do their jobs, sometimes seems like my aunt raised me as her own son.' carried a tray of two small sake glasses into the room and set it down and he replied, "They probably would make them smaller, maybe even handheld. We'll see, anyway I hope we have a great match today."

The tomboy looked at him and smiled, "Me too, Ryu, today we will see if the student can beat the master. No matter who wins, let's have fun."

He took his glass and said, "I'll drink to that."

The two of them gently connected by glasses with a clank and said, "Kanpai!" Ryu took a sip and looked thoughtfully at the glass, '

He thought, 'After today, I'm going to tell mt aunt I'm not going to be a part of her little scheme anymore. Even if her goals are noble, the longer we go on with this stunt the more likely it is we're going to get caught. Oh, why did I agree to this idea?!'

It was 6 o'clock in the morning and the two of them were eating a blissful breakfast of microwaved leftovers.

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Feb, 16, 1999, 7:34 at the Makino House.

Ruki's eyes were red from crying, and two fresh tears went down her cheeks. These seemed to be her last as a dim and brief rage overtook her. She had smelled something that triggered renewed pain. She glared at a framed picture signed by Ryu, it said, "From mentor to apprentice, remember these words, "If you want to get good, work hard, don't sleep, and kick as much ass you can!" She said, " My last ally and only rival, a liar, thief,and a card-counting cad!' Her anger faded like a strong but short gust into a long gentle breeze.

Sadness, guilt, and loneliness returned… Apathy was sure to follow and hide the pain with a cloak of numbness with distant stabs of pain lingering. Another 'would-be' friend gone." She shook her head in mute disgust and tossed the picture in the trash…

Seiko was on her computer when a window pop-up stating that her Internet connection needed a moment to buffer. She sighed and thought. "Not again! I have some major theater repair research work to do right now! So annoying and a time-waster to boot. Still, maybe Ruki could use it to make some new friends or find a partner on the web. With so much out there on the Internet and so much to learn and do, sometimes, I find myself wondering: What goes on in that Digital World?"

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The viewpoint and the metaphorical camera zooms in to the screen and for a moment brightly colored pixels can be seen, and then the POV zooms forward, past the pixels. Into a strange realm were precisely shaped chunks of space-time form an endless ground of repeating golden (often green-tinted) circuits. A strangely shaped dimension made by the Three Demiourgós, that exist within the Internet's secret mon-made, fiber-optic para-cables. A bizarre else-worlds where data, hyper-normal particles, and circuitry combined to form of place all its own. Words on the screen say: "The Net World".

On the left side of the net world is a gigantic wall of fire with occasional gaps to allow objects and beings to pass through. In what roughly constitutes the sky, there was an ever shifting, dark blue, rising and falling grid. The 'camera' goes into the grid for a moment and a red wireframe version of Tokyo's cityscape appears. There are strange blue, green and yellow dots and whatever they are their hues are dark. Therefore, the locations presented are probably not active at the moment. The 'camera' then goes back to the net world, before going through a gap in the firewall to reveal a dark blue tinted strange realm filled with shimmering and distorted numbers, unknown symbols, and number symbols that keep popping in and out of existence.

Random shock waves and distortions taint this hyperspace red and turned themselves white in the process. Energy hums in every direction and a village made of golden light with occupants to match appears briefly before fading out of sight as this distorted world changes. Now it appears to be mere blackness with multiple points of light, each one with an ever present label marking it as a different universe or Digital World. As the camera draws towards one of those sources, the labels on the others are still present, but the lights dim until the only light comes from the way into the selected universe and the way out. The camera goes forward to the other source of light and for a brief moment a gigantic structure composed of hexagons appears. Simple labels written in Japanese, Norse, English, Digicode, and others say: "Host-Computer "Yggdrasill_Prime", Sim/Particle D-World Unit-026 T.B.C: 10120 ID#67545010"

Below it was a longer message. In the same languages as before, in English it read:

"Greetings brave and powerful visitor! Within this ether-void of ever changing and deadly energy lays powers and potential unimagined. Behold the World System! A testament to the Builders of Matter and their allies, the Three Demiurges. They who used Block Transfer Computation to create Digital Worlds to match their older matter counterparts.

One Demiurge to create and recreate a World Unit, one to maintain the Unit, and one to destroy when necessary to prevent a system crash or major system error. Thus, internal errors, external chaos and threats, terrible mistakes by ourselves, and mistakes by the inhabitants are learned from no matter how big they are, and thus the system is maintained.

Know that those of Matter and those of Data can achieve more together than they can on their own, as family, friends, lovers, neighbors, coworkers, and most of all, as Partners!

Treat our worlds and other creative projects well. If you don't, then you will suffer greatly! Though, such instances are thankfully rare. Enjoy your stay!"

Soon the enormous structure comes to stretch as far as the eye can see. Lines stretch off into the distance from the structure to other points of light and presumably other structures like it the light comes from a doorway within the structure. Beyond that, there were ever shifting squares with green outlines and beyond them lies a plane of existence similar to the net world, except that this place has rectangular gaps that lead to an unusual place.

Many of the rectangular holes had the following words inscribed on the top or side. They were written in English, Japanese, written Hindi, Chinese, a strange set of symbols that vaguely resembled Unicode, and Digicode.

""Here lies an entrance and exit to the physical and first layer of the 26th Digital World-The "First Realm", a Lithosphere of our latest Magnum Opus! Here lie wonders, dangers, obstacles, secrets, stories, and possibilities aplenty. A world with its own histories, religion, philosophies, and cultures some of their ideas are very different than any humans. However, that doesn't mean that those ideas are bad or wrong, their simply a different, and possibly a better way to see reality.

Our creations and humans can learn a lot from each other, and the technology, simulations, and ideas created by Digimon will change both our worlds forever! For here, the artificial is natural and but natural is artificial. All is made from data and aging to perfection is a way of life. For our creations, beyond these holes lie great power, enlightenment, and the secrets of your creation. When you are ready or have simply become desperate enough to make the journey, come join us in the world of matter." -The Wild Bunch."

The first realm of the Digital World was a Exolithosphere (outer-rocky-sphere) at first seemed barren save for rocky structures, sand, and data streams that came from some of the holes, touched the ground, and then bounced back up towards the strange, occasionally flickering, globe in the sky, where they were redirected into a digital portal, which led to a random location in another layer of this strange universe.

A diagram was shown and they were eight layers in all. One of them appeared to consist of small dimensions or universes labeled, "Microverses". Each one of them has a different label, has several artificial environments called Fields, and for a moment an arrow points at one Microverse called "Polyperivállon-Plain". In it are several areas called 'Biome-Class' Fields: The" Unyielding Forest" of the Combined-Renamon Clans, The "Gear Savanna" of the Leomon TriClan, "Frozen Circuit Tundra" of the Gomamon-Clan, and "Noise Desert" Fields.

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Digital World Date: Datan 2223 A.E, Dar'kun/4 n;o Delnog߱ Oau (Year 2123 A.E, 4th Day of Spring), Polyperivállon-Plain, 'Unyielding Forest' Field, Renamon Clan Tarutrey, Hidden Grove of Tools:

A roughly humanoid form was sitting lotus style under a fig tree. No one else was there. The being was a fox covered in yellow fur, his/er/her/it's/ou stomach, feet and fingers were white, the eyes were purple, had a long yellow-tail with a white tip, and yellow ears.

Finally, its body was somewhat curvy. However, its arms and legs seemed to be oddly muscular. The overall appearance was androgynous, incorporating elements of the male and female form while remaining contradictorily Asexmorpic (sexless form) and powerful. The androgynous being opened its eyes, its ears dropped to the side, its mouth was contorted into a frown that revealed frustration.

The frown became a snarl of anger as the fox got up and looked at the fig tree over, upon seeing a certain part of the tree, it raised one of its feet as if to strike the tree hard but then shook its head ruefully and turned around. It was still alone.

It then released its frustration by shouting, "I've been meditating here seeking Abhijna (hidden or divine knowledge) under this old and noble tree. One craved with the code-numbers and Antonomasia of my ancestors, some of them 'Sorei'. I am a troubled Beast Clan-member and I seek divine insight!

I have been here for three long years and I have gained nothing! No insight, no new purpose, and no hope!

I will meditate once more, if that fails... I am uncertain what I will do." It wept bitterly.

It went to get some fish from a beautiful stream and after cooking and eating them, she returned to the tree and meditation.

Five hours passed, and then something happened... There was a strange sound, and the Fox opened her eyes. As it did so, a burst of light faded and a male humanoid form appeared before it. He smiled with both benevolence and a hint of mischief. He held a golden seal in its hand. The seal was a compass with the four ends pointing towards elemental symbols. At the center of a compass were three triangles made of ruby and these were surrounded by three silver arrows that resembled a pixelated recycle sign.

The revelation had come at last and the Fox jumped high and then danced as agape filled her.

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The girl looked at the large metal around her neck and her new other spoils, and then at the name tag attached her clothing, it said, "Ruki F. Makino". She looked at the crowd before her, it was 2/5% girls and 3/5% boys. Some of the girls were the sisters, girlfriends, moms, and fangirls, but many were female Tamers like her. Maybe it was the cuteness of some of Digimon, Digimon plushies being a hot 'girl' toy, the many cool and often complex female characters in the Digimon franchise, the sometimes unisex nature of both the animes and the card game, the tech and deep lore that geeky girl's loved, or the fact that some girls just loved sports and cards. She thought, 'I want to inspire others to greatness but no one challenging has appeared. That jerk Ryu has to ruin everything again! Sigh, I need to stop blaming him and move on. That being said, wherever he is, I hope he's safe and happy. I have two family members and many fans but I've never felt so alone. I've been abandoned by everyone. I can't even find a worthy opponent... Once again they are all scared of me, at least this time they won't think I'll beat them up."

Her thoughts ended as the announcer finished speaking and asked her to say a few words and she did so bluntly and her fans ate it up. They probably thought it was part of her persona as blunt competitive, punk. They were only partly right.

Ruki sighed," I'm sorry to say even though everyone poured their heart and soul into the tournament, this year's competition was disappointing. I want to inspire my fans and my fellow card players to greatness. However, I've had no challenging opponents this year, but not for lack of effort on the part of anyone here. I have a talent for playing "Hyper Coliseum" Digimon card game. No one else here seems to have the same level of skill as I do, this year our game-sport has gone mainstream. I hope the new players and the old ones had fun this year. Also, as I played I caught myself thinking, "Where have all the people with passion gone to? I know you can do better than this." So, I'll come back to this tournament next year but not as a participant."

The room seemed utterly silent for a moment as shock filled it. Ruki gave her fans and fellow players a sad but determined look before she spoke again.

"This game simply isn't fun or challenging for me anymore. I'm uncertain if that's because I've gotten too good at it or this was just a bad year for Tamers. Maybe, what Ryo did to me and all of us tinted my view and the card game rule changes drove players like me away. Regardless, I'm going on a semi-permanent retirement until my love this game and hopefully the other people with talent who play it resurface. Until then, I wish you many pleasant hours of gaming and anime watching. And remember like the opening song form the Tamer movie said, "The light from one card tells of this story's beginning but you decide its end! Slash for Life! Goodbye, my fans and fellow Tamers! Thanks for making this game great!"

With a wave to the folks below, she walked off the stage. The shocked crowd was silent for a few moments but then they started yelling. The crowd seemed torn between anger at being dissed and excitement at the quote. Rumors, some darker than others, started to swirl about the departure of another card game legend from the tournament...

As the legend in question walked back home she looked aimless, frustrated, worried, puzzled, and eager for a new challenge.

She arrived home, and after putting her stuff away, she went to the bathroom, she looked at herself in the mirror for a moment or two. She was wearing her signature outfit, one associated with the "Digimon Queen" persona she had developed over the last two years. A persona born of pain, isolation, and anger.

The clothing reflected that, the outfit consisted of her trademark yellow bandanna (the one with the purple Kybimon on it was reserved for publicity pictures only), a blue shirt with a flaming purple heart and short white sleeves, red boots with steel toes and no laces, rolled up jeans with three belts around one knee that both minutes one of her favorite Digimon and stood for her remaining family, a belt around her waist that had a Wingmon and a figurine of the "Trubokat" from one of her favorite shows, a brown belt-pouch for cards with a stylized red "R" on it, and dark green socks.

She thought, "I've never been a big fan of some elements of this outfit... Hmmm... Maybe I should become a clothing designer for tomboys or something. I'm uncertain if my mother would be amused by that thought or horrified by it. I could also try writing again as well, but I've had a year-long bout of writer's block.'

The narrator said, "The outfit had been designed by both Ruki and her mother three months before she had signed a major movie deal. It was perhaps the first time the two it really connected since they were both VA's in the same movie, but that didn't last. Her mother playing the role of a woman who had lost her daughter because she was a tomboy and got into a street fight had changed their relationship for the worse. True, her mother had tried to reconnect with her, but she had done so in the wrong way and perhaps for the wrong reasons."

Ruki cringed for a moment as she spotted a stain she hadn't noticed and changed her shirt to one that was green and had a skull and cross bones on it. When she was finished changing she thought, "I'm getting hungry, maybe I should walk to the nearest restaurant and get some food. I could use something to cheer me up anyway. Besides the shirt and the jacket go well together, it even complements the rest of the outfit."

The redhead went out and got a late lunch before coming back home with the leftovers. After putting them in the fridge, she laid down on the floor.

Ruki remembered the easy victories and thought, 'Shess... When I said I never wanted to feel weak again, I didn't mean I want to fight a bunch of losers. What am I saying!? Half of the people on the tournament were posers, but there were the others had never entered the tournament before and some of them hadn't even played the game before.

Some of the card-vets simply weren't as good at playing the game as they thought, 'I know what that's like. Arrggg... I hate feeling powerless! I want to win, I want to dominate over worthy opponents, and just for once I like to work with somebody who won't betray me.'

She took out her Wingmon card, one that had been signed by V.A's, those who had her voiced most of her favorite (Digimon) characters.

She looked at it aimlessly and thought, 'I don't care much for the new season, and the kids seem kind of dull in the fansite and magazine pics. Still after what happened last year, a clean break might breathe new life in to the show. I wonder if Digimon Adventure Uni will have… What the heck?!'

The ordinary colors of her room changed as a fog gathered in her room.

Moments later, the card scanner was engulfed by the fog. After a few minutes, it started to glow, Then the colors of the room went from gray to purple and black. This matched her pupil and iris. there were an endless variety of different hues for both colors. Then three "windows" popped in front of her like she was staring at either a futuristic cockpit from a movie. Then Digimon appeared in the window.

Ruki starred at the oddness around her, "This must be a dream. Wait, I know it's a dream... Yes! That three day lucid dreaming workshop finally paid off. Now let's see if I can conjure up a Wingmon... Bummer, nothings working.'

'She sighed, 'Why do I keep having ones about Digimon? Surely, I've got other things on my mind. I hope this doesn't turn out to be a nightmare..."

They started to speak...

"Ah, there she is."

"That's the female!"

"She seems so weak and puny. I want someone stronger, who will help me survive."

"So you are the one they call the Digimon Queen."

"Oh great Tamer, please help me evolve! I want to become an enlightened master and stand on the bodies of my foes before they turn to bits!"

"I want to become stronger. Even the Gods will fear my power."

"I want to kill millions!"

"Rip and tear, rip and tear their guts. I want to tear them even if they don't have guts."

"Be my Tamer, great glory will be ours."

Then the cries of "Be my Tamer" intensified and the voices blurred together as they chanted the same three words over and over again. Confusion and fear filled the redhead and she backed away. Adding to the nightmare fuel, three sets of claws reached through the screens towards her and she backed away even further. As her back bumped against the wall she gave a brief stutter as anxiety gripped her.

She cried out, "Whether or not this is a dream, you're all scaring me!"

For a moment there was silence before the cries of desperation resumed and to a sharp authoritative voice shouted, "Enough, you fools!"

A being with two sharp horns and mangled wings had spoken.

Another voice that was still authoritative but deeper chimed in, "Give her a moment to calm down. If she dies of a heart attack or runs away, none of us will become her Partner."

Five minutes passed, then Ruki took a good look at them. She thought, "Drat, there is no Wingmon here... Still, the Renamon and the Devimon, or is that an Icedevimon, look cool. Maybe I can get them to fight, that would be Keengear! Sigh, I need to stop saying such stupid things to myself.'

She spoke, "Since you are essentially auditioning to work with me, let's make it official. Each one of you Mon tell me five things about yourself, any weaknesses you have, and at least three good reasons why I should partner with a bunch of pathetic programs like you."

As each one auditioned, it became evident that one or two of them were crazy, five of them wanted to take over the Digital World, five were merely bloodthirsty, and the rest of them were either crooks or sadistic killers. From their perspective the window was above their heads and tilted at an angle. Some of them seem more familiar with the strange limbo they were in then others were. Ruki then got some paper and wrote down an organized list of each Digimon by type. The five things about them, their weaknesses, and three qualifications.

'As I had hoped, the two cool ones seem to be the best pick of the bunch. But how do I decide between them? Feels like I'm missing something... Wait, one of them mentioned desiring power. That's what I want, power! I had to change schools because people feared me, the people in my class don't fear me and none of the other students do. And yet they're so…. girly. I tried making friends, and I just got picked on and hurt. I don't feel that way at all now...

I thought I wanted to have friends and be loved, but what I want right now is power and control. It feels so odd, I miss that feeling of power, the power I felt when I took on that gang of delinquents and beat up at least two full-grown adults. But then I got beaten up myself, I hate feeling weak. I don't want to be weak ever again. I want to be strong, and I want a friend or lackey who won't betray me.'

Ruki stared the varied Digimon before her, "I have narrowed my choices to the Renamon and the fellow with the horns, leather straps, and the holes in its wings. In order to narrow the field I have one final qualification: I only want a strong Digimon!"

The 17 Digimon looked at each other, and pointed and laughed at the two Digimon who now walked to the center of main window. The other 15 seemed to know some hidden joke Ruki didn't get. Then looked at the cards on the table as one of them glowed. It was covered in a blue light. Ruki bent down and picked it up. The two adolescent levels glowed with blue-light as the other contenders stepped back and were then shoved further back by an invisible force.

For the moment they then disappeared and the Virus and the Vaccine stare at each other. The virus spoke, "I propose a battle between us. The one who kills the other gets to be her Partner." The androgynous opponent nodded in consent and, replied, "Very well but let it be a test of physical strength and agility since our attacks are undoubtedly known to our potential partner. The only attacks we will be allowed to use are those that will finish off our foe. I know what you have done and what you are capable of. I will gladly defeat you to avenge the dead."

The other one laughed mockingly.

The two backed away from each other and after a few moments of concentration they bowed and the battle began.

At first the two combats seemed to be evenly matched but the fox was faster and craftier than its equally powerful opponent. The virus tried psychological warfare and trash talk while the Fox concentrated on speed, trickery, and agility. Finally the frost-demon said something it shouldn't have, "Too bad it's not snowing here. It would be fitting if your defeat happened in the same weather as your beloved..."

The Renamon warrior cried out in rage and hit the opponent's leg so hard that it collapsed in on itself, and then the Fox broke the demon's left arm and hit it with haymaker after haymaker. Both the warrior's fury and the speed at which it struck was stunning, dent after dent appeared on the shadow-covered foe.

Finally, the Fox's fist glowed with blue flame and just as the last blow was about to be struck, the silhouetted suddenly Fox seemed fearful and stopped. "I refuse to beat my opponent to death, even if you are scum." The Virus burst out laughing and then tossed part of its broken horn into the air.

Momentarily distracted, the silhouetted figure attacked her by extending its arm. The other warrior avoided the attack and grabbed on to be arm only to be pulled forward as the enemy readied another special attack. However, the Fox now felt vindicated and gave its foolish opponent a smirk of triumph at the stupidity of the last move. With a deadly burning punch, the virus fragmented into bits. The Fox paused for a moment and hesitated, then it spoke, "I'm uncertain if he somehow turned himself into data-packets or if I destroyed him."

The fox thought, 'Normally the first one wouldn't happen, but this place has some very odd rules. Why was this fight held here anyway?'

The fox was soon no longer in silhouette,"Regardless, I have won. If you would like, I will take on all these other opponents and destroy them as well."

The redhead shook her head and said, "Maybe later, but I want to meet my new partner in person."

The yellow-furred hunter stepped forward and said in a warm but professional voice, "That can be arranged. All you need to do is put the glowing card through the slot of the card reader and I will appear before you thanks to the wonders of Digital Fields and the unique phenomenon known as quantum teleportation."

The fox spoke again, "I will explain further, and set down some ground rules for our partnership in a moment. If you want to take an hour or two to think about all that has happened be my guest. By the way, what gender pronouns do you use?"

"Well, Japanese doesn't really have those but… 'She' and 'her' will do, I'm a tomboyish female. Um, why did you ask that?"

The Renamon just nodded, "It is merely common courtesy where I come from. Your future partner signing out."

The three windows disappeared, and the redhaired girl was alone. She spent the next hour thinking about what happened and wondering when she was going to awake. She looked at the glowing card and, with some hesitation, she did the move she had seen in the Digimon crossover TV movie. A movie that popularized the idea of special "Option Cards" which could be used to activate special Digimon attacks or abilities. The people that had these cards were called Tamers in the movie, and over the next year the term became a general expression for anyone who played the card movie mentioned earlier had also popularized the so-called "Card Slash" move, and the term and the movement had become a part of fan-slang.

Thus Ruki performed the move and the card reader glowed..

The card-reader disappeared, and Ruki angrily muttered something about wasting her allowance. However, the reader was replaced by something unexpected, a window opened up and strange symbols appeared on the screen. Another screen appeared with three-dimensional map of Nishi-Shinjuku made out of wireframe appeared against a black background, it went from a side view to a top view but looked down on the city. There were small, yellow and green dots that moved around a bit and large blue dots that were stationary.

With the map as a backdrop, neon-green text appeared on the screen: Selecting Matter-Emergence site from per-selected locations in Nishi-Shinjuku.

Target selected. Awaiting feedback on potential witnesses... Updated information suggests 15% likelihood of witnesses given the adult occupants schedules. With proper precautions, danger of civilian witnesses decreases to 10%.

One of the witnesses believes in Fox Spirits and would be considered to be unreliable due to eccentricities, age in a collectivist and, ageist society. 5% risk threshold acceptable. Sending data-packets as Fractile-Code strings to desired location in the Analog World."

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Matter World Date: Feb, 11, 1999/Digital World Date: Fourth n;o Oau Delnog, current time in locations shown- unknown, Digital World Locations: Exiting Wish Realm followed by Ethereal Energy-Void, Net World, and finally Analog World.

Reflective pixel-like objects made of compressed Fractile Code sandwiched between two layers of Fractile Code went through the gate out of the vast structure composed of hexagons. As the packets did so, they were instantly protected by two layers of Holy Fractile Code and a transparent purple bubble just before the exited the gate. Exhibiting swarm behavior, they left the structure behind and went into the Net World.

After traveling through it for time reformed, one packet at a time, into the Renamon seen earlier. An icon containing a mysterious number appeared above its head with an arrow pointing to it from the icon. The Fox then ran at great speed for a short distance until she reached a strange realm of red wireframe structures and steadily gathering matter particles: the Analog World.

They joined together in two distinct ways to briefly create a Renamon-shaped form, likely as a test to make sure that the data was all still there. Some bits were missing due to the hazardous environment they had traveled through. However, they were nonessential and were quickly replaced using information transferred from the Net World.

The particles and the data packets began to join together as information was transferred to the particles and new quantum entanglements at the quantum level were made. The window in Ruki's room now had a new message as the same one, in Digicode, appeared around the gathering mass of particles from six different sides: "Warning: "Realization" in progress! All Net Watchers and Analog Interceptors please stand clear of Particle Accumulation and Combining Process (P.A.C.-P.R.O)!"

Tiny machines on incredibly small scales started to form, some were highly specialized and held memories, personalty, tasks, programs, and instructions for forming cells and metal parts. Others were less specialized, they mimicked the behavior of specific groups of metamaterials (often in layers) to accomplish specific tasks, and others were for more general-purposes like running and making fire. When they had all been properly formed, the two kinds of nanobots split into four different groups for ease of travel and speed and went to a specific location: a flashing green circle surrounded by a pulsing yellow layer, which likely indicated caution.

"Re-creation of Data Core as bionic-brain begun. Preselected nano and meta materials include: LED Modules, Foglets from a large-scale Utility Fog, super-compositors, and other advanced artificial building materials. Warning: re-digitizetion is currently impossible due to energy distortions and destinations and the Wall of Fire being on high alert due to high risk criminals in transit. Specifically, criminals being transferred back to the Dark Area by three of the available Holy Beasts and 25 Vaccine-Type, Perfect-Level warriors. Updates on that situation will be issued to all personnel on a need to know basis."

When the nano-bots were all within the green circle, it stopped flashing and started pulsing with vaguely yellow light as the circle expanded. A window appeared with a warning in six languages, "If you approach the Visser-Bridge during opening it will delete you!" A distortion in space-time soon became a tear, then a wormhole appeared. It marked by green squares at both ends.

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Same Day, Preselected site nearest to the Makino house, five minutes later.

The nanobots went through a wormhole and emerged underground inside an area of the sewer system. This part was dry, rarely visited by humans, and had carefully hidden electronic sensors, fiber-optic cables, and other equipment. The tiny machines then went down a tunnel through but nearest convenient and large enough exit. To an average person, the machines appeared to be simple fog and quickly drifted above the traffic. They rushed toward a specific house where a beacon planted in Ruki's room signaled their arrival and convergence point. A on-screen time stump said, "15 minutes later". The fog carefully slowed down and covered the building Ruki called home.

Underneath the window, the fog condensed and strange lines resembling blue bar code appeared were formed out of LED nano-modules. The blue code then separated into six globe-like groups. Ruki gasped, 'That's the stuff that comes out of the Digivice in the "Digimon Adventure" ad! Does this is mean I'm going to be a Chosen Child like those on the new show? Sqee...'

After a few moments, the symbols changed into the same strange words in English, Devanagari Script, Chinese, Japanese, and something that vaguely resembled Unicode respectively. The message was: Partnership Experiment 03 of Project: "Digital-Janus" Begins Phase 1, Part 1: Density Matrix.

The fog started to condense around 3 of the data packets and half of the nanite Fractal Code changed into a slowly developing form.

The narrator spoke once more, "In real life. The following process was completed over several steps, each one taking 2-4 days, depending on the complexity of the body part involved. However, for the purposes of drama, practicality, and the audience's presumed familiarity with Post-Sogoth "Re-Digitization" advances, this animated reenactment will simplify the process."

A series of 'Cyber-Cells' begin to form and were taken to their destination by specialized transport-nanites called 'Uni-dir. Repulsive Motor-Nanoplanes'. There a bionic brain formed, once this was completed the second step in the brain creation process began as the memory cells split into specialized forms. The narrator explains what was happening, "There are two main models of memory, one of which includes three steps: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. These are what are now being formed."

After the brain was created a round reflective shape formed over the brain and creates the basis for a featureless, basic, but familiar shape: The skull of a Renamon. The head slowly formed and was complemented by a mechanical spine covered in super capacitors. As a few hours went pass, an indistinct metal skeleton emerged, though it probably couldn't move and the consciousness network wasn't yet active due to ethical concerns. Finally, the skull was formed, but lacked eyes. Instead, there were two mechanical holes, making it look like someone had constructive the head of a animatronic skeleton.

Ruki went to sleep that night, half expecting to be woken up, but that didn't happen. She looked at the still forming machine with frustration and a hint of disgust. She thought, "This is not what I signed up for, I wanted a digital lifeform, not a robot straight out of pop-culture."

However, the skeleton was complete and another round reflective shape was formed from another batch of nanites. The spiracle object was hollow and had thousands of microscopic pores covering its surface. It floated over to the finished but still incomplete skeleton and started the process of forming the full body. Ruki couldn't see what happened next but the Impmon watching the documentary could. As the metaphorical camera zoomed in on the nanoscale, a fascinating process started.

The round object started to send out countless nano-machines, some of them had aside or side of them that was completely covered in a specific kind of metamaterial. Others were starting to form an electronic nerves covered in specialized sensors.

There were also many missing organs, though Ruki didn't realize this and simply took the organs for granted. There were other organs, if you could call them that, which didn't exist in the human body.

A particularly important nonhuman organ now began forming, but it was obscured from Ruki's vision by fog. This was probably due to privacy reasons. A two layer metallic orb formed over the course of three hours. Once that was done a small 'socket' with flat, rounded door begin to form over two hours. The socket now opened to reveal a "female" plug. The plug went forward and moved around with surprising flexibility and was attached to an extension cord from a second metallic sphere. The strange object was located where the heart would be. There were six kinds of plugs, all equal distance apart from each other on the round shape like a planet with six magnetic poles. The female one soon had "Main Connector-Plug" in English carved onto it.

For the first time in a while, the narrator spoke, " In modern times there are "Female", "Agender", "Male", "Bigender", "queergender","Genderfluid", and "Androgyny" connectors. There are also six other connectors that are not as widely used. The significance of all of these connectors will be explained later."

Another connecting device was labeled "Experimental Data Error and Corruption Purifier". It carried a warning, "Any attempt to tamper with this device without prior authorization and prior consent of this individual will result in permanent exile to the Dark Area or the extradition, trial, and possible execution of any human who tries to damage, replicate, or impede this vital experiment."

Finally, the orb was now marked, "Error Affected and Corrupted Data Storage Container."

The skeleton began to grow an artificial nervous system. A network of superconducting electrodes acting like nerves slowly formed something akin to the Central Nervous System. It was made of two different materials and worked even faster than the human one due to waste heat being absorbed and reused.

A peripheral nervous system with sensors emerged to better assess damage to the overall system. After this was done, artificial tendons and muscles were formed. The skeleton, the two electrode networks, and the monitoring sensors was covered by a layer of artificial spring muscles, that bizarrely required alcohol to move. After this was accomplished, a secondary layer of three sheets of carbon nano tubes provided stability. Both sets of muscles were covered by two protective layers, one to deal with heat damage and the outer one that provided electrical insulation.

The narrator spoke, "The first layer of alcohol-powered spring muscles allows a biomechanical Digimon to lift up to 50 tons, leap 30 feet into the air, kick with enormous force, dent three inch titanium with a single punch, survive a fall from great heights, and other incredible feats. The second layer of artificial muscles includes carbon nano-tubes that make a Digimon highly bullet resistant. In conjunction with self-healing 'Super-Gel', the 'lost' meta material called "Starlite" and other advanced materials a Digimon's skin can change in density and durability as needed.

These special materials allow the incredible feats mentioned earlier, in addition to others that are specific to each Digimon, according to its experiences, update patches, special attacks, equipment, and unique abilities. As a general safety precaution, only 15 to 30% of a Digimon's full physical power is available unless the situation is desperate. Furthermore, a complex network of extra motion sensors prevents accidental injuries most of the time."

Once the muscles were finished, the nanobots went to the next task.

An electromagnetic field was generated, as some of the light-gray fog formed into LED lights nano-modules. When this was accomplished, the skin was covered by a 1 inch thick layer of nano-module, each one paired with a dark blue LED light. More nano-modules came together in a grid pattern that created a lattice of neon-blue LED lights that seemed like a wireframe figure on the macro scale.

Hours went by and the shape changed and solidified as modules, and Foglets with one side coated in special meta-materials began to form three distinct layers of skin. Ruki's mom and grandmother came home. When they saw the form in Ruki's room Ruki said it was a gift form an artistic fan of hers. That it wasn't finished yet and Ruki wasn't sure she would keep the finished work due to how big it was.

As an hour went by, the final soft and warm outer layer was finished. Now the details of the face and other aspects of the Renamon kept getting more distinct as two large eyes filled the skull's sockets, a mouth with tongue and teeth, toes, three fingers, claws, a tail, and other features were formed. Finally, large patches of yellow and white hair begin to emerge and the nose became black in color. An ornamental belly button began to form in front of the female connector plug.

The redhead went to bed, giving one last curious glance at the odd sight in her room after saying goodnight to her mother and grandmother.

Ruki slept with the covers over her head for once and, in the morning, the humanoid shape was covered by fur and most of the details were there. Ruki's mom went to work after breakfast and her grandma went to see friend from her old theater days. The rest of the details slowly came into focus as the morning went on, and by 10 AM, the process was complete. Finally purple gloves and a belt appeared at the entity's feet. A cold mechanical voice declared, "Nanite Matter Meta-Morphing Complete. Self-awareness protocols coming online in three minutes..."

At 10: 03, Ruki heard a noise and woke up. She saw a huge humanoid fox putting on a left handed glove to mirror its twin. Ruki rubbed her eyes and stared in utter shock. Her dream wasn't a dream at all!

The familiar but still incredible creature then put on a white belt with yellow pouches, and stood up, her eyes looking around, scanning the room with fresh wonder. Then the eyes spotted her red hair and the yellow being's lips started upwards and a smile of relief and satisfaction. Ruki stared in awe…

Before her stood what had once been a real program. Now it was a super fighting robot, and Ruki was its master and it was her servant. The redhead got up out of bed and reached out to touch it. She felt warm fur covering cold skin under which was something even colder, thinker, softer. It almost felt like some strange form of multi-layered metallic silk.

The other nanites gathered as more fog started to condense. The message on the screen displayed, "Activating main Matter-Nanite Program database, subfile + family of Nano-Structures... One selected... Construction of hand-held, "M.E-Warrior-Class.", D.A.G-Type, Digital-Matter Device.

Warning: Will take three months to complete... Activating five Time-Dilation Fields to compensate."

Ruki noted the fact that the program wore a belt around its waist. Then she asked, "Are you a Digimon? Or are you a shape shifter who has just taken on the form of one for some reason?"

It nodded its head and replied, "Yes, normally I'm a living program, A "Renamon" type to be precise. One of many such beings who live in a parallel universe we call the "Digital World". My kind call ourselves "Digital Monsters" like you call yourselves "Human Beings"."

The Renamon looked around the room and smiled warmly at Ruki,"Is this your lovely dwelling?"

The redhead looked a bit puzzled and replied, "Yes it is. So, um. Where do you live?"

The two legged fox sat on the wooden floor and gave Ruki an answer, "I come from a forest, perhaps the only place in my world where plants and animals exist. We hunt and trap them like all carnivores, and gather plants to provide us with seasonings."

Ruki looked surprised at the idea of there being animals in the Digital World. "Um, what's the forest like?"

The fox's eyes lit up in happiness, "The forest is beautiful and often serene but it has its dangers. Still, the fishing is great. I lived there with my Beast Clan for many years. They are both a family-unit and a community to me."

Ruki nodded, "That sounds nice. Why did you leave?"

There was a dark pause in the room, Renamon shuddered soundlessly, "I have three counts of PTSD that nomon there could help me with. That and things became very awkward between I and my former..." She suddenly seemed to catch herself doing something wrong and stopped speaking, "Actually, you're aren't really old enough to hear those tales right now."

Ruki stared at the fox in disbelief for a moment, and thought, 'Great, the strongest Digimon ever has mental issues. I'm having second thoughts about this.'

The yellow fox continued speaking, "I was sent here by a being I believe to be a maintenance-program. These programs are part of a larger system that keeps our universe running and up to date. The maintenance program told me your name is Ruki of the Makino Clan. It is an honor to meet you." As the program said this she got on one knee and bowed.

Ruki giggled for a moment and said, "We don't call families 'clans' around here. Also bowing is unnecessary. What are you doing here anyway?"

The Renamon gave a reassuring smile and said, "For my own reasons, I seek power just as you do." She sighed and muttered, "I should have become a Teoamon by now but that blasted little stone just had to, arrgggg..."

She calmed down after a moment, "In order to accomplish so I must grow out of my supportive matrix's current "Baseline-State". I can do this through a process called "Echelon-Matrix Evolution"."

Ruki nodded as her eyes lit up with a realization, "I still have the card in my pocket. The image on it didn't make much sense, and the thought of skin coming off like that was kind of creepy. It still is."

The Fox seemed to agree and shuddered briefly, "Old tales of the Enlightened Masters say there is a secret 'lightning path' to both sacred knowledge and Perfect Level. A path called Perfect Evolution that can only be found here. Any temporary change between Levels is called, "Matrix Henshin". It's activated by sliding the card you mentioned through that device forming."

Ruki seems very excited when the word "henshin" was mentioned and shouted, "Yes! I not only get my own personal fighting program, but it also transforms into my second favorite Digimon ever! I also get to be a sidekick to a superhero right out of Kamen Rider and Super Sentai..."

Ruki's eyes opened wide, 'Wait, a sec! I don't want to be a sidekick! I want to be a boss! Me being subservient to a mere program? Hah, yeah right! Even if you are a living weapon, your only purpose is to fight alongside me and to grow stronger so I can become the most powerful tamer ever!"'

Ruki could swear for a moment that the humanoid Fox had flinched at being called "a mere program". However, she seemed to realize that she was mistaken. Another mistake she may have made was calling her new partner a "living weapon" because the Fox's ears drooped at the sound of the two words. The redhead gave her new ally a puzzled look before the Digimon moved back on topic.

Renamon looked thoughtful, "Growing into new forms called 'Levels' are what constitute aging for Digimon. Like a vampire of human mythology. The older I get the more powerful my forms become. Though I change, there will be no decay, my skin does not even wrinkle."

Ruki thought about that for a bit before saying, "So, outside of fighting for me, will you be taking on any other roles?"

The Renamon nodded, "I was sent here to aid, guard, and serve you in a quest to become the first human in this universe to truly battle alongside a Digimon. After that' the real work will begin... We will not be alone in our quest. Other Tamers will come. This city will likely need more than one guardian."

The girl thought, 'Trusting you will hard enough for me as it is. I don't know if I'll ever have another friend again.' Ruki asked," Alright, do you have a name?"

She shook her head and thought for a moment, "Neither my Beast Clan nor my 'kind' use names. Instead, my people use ID numbers and 'Antonomasia', a greek word meaning "substitute names", for a phrase and epithet. For example, my clan-mates know me as both "The Ren-Art of Regin" and Great Trapper".)

Once again, the redhead looked puzzled, "How do you know about the people of Greece?"

"The "Great Programmers" or "The Makers" as they are usually called visited this... 'Planet' I believe you call it, 18,870 years ago."

Ruki gave her a puzzled look and the fox continued, "I once thought they visited your world only once apparently I was mistaken. Ancient records state that the Makers learned English and Japanese, and then we forgot both languages. Recently, the program that sent me taught me both. You've any other concerns?

Ruki seemed confused, "I'm uncertain how to pronounce either phrase or epithet, so for the moment, do you mind if I call you Renamon or or maybe G.T.R for short? 'Renamon' is what people always call... Your kind in the Digimon media franchise."

Renamon was silent for a moment as her ears drooped slightly,"I do not mind if you use that phrase. Hmmm... So I was correct and my people or the Makers have made contact with yours recently."

Ruki looked uncertain, "Actually, the Digimon in the franchise are fictional programs, indeed I thought you were fictional until you appeared before me."

Renamon closed her eyes and replied, "I see, the records are translations from the language but has not been spoken for 15,000 years. I know this because I was an archivist in my previous life. Are there any stories about my kind in the past?"

Ruki nodded, "There are mischievous, and sometimes malicious Fox spirits in Japanese literature called Kitsune. Supposedly they were based on older Chinese stories, perhaps they were based on encounters with real Renamon. Kitsune were the basis for the Renamon character in the media franchise owned by the Bandai Corporation."

The Digimon nodded but then looked puzzled, "Wait, what is a "media franchise"? I do know what a corporation is though."

Ruki finished her explanation, "A group books called manga, and shows or animated stories that appear on a device called a television. The stories usually last 30 minutes and are called episodes. They usually accompanied by dialogue and music."

The fox smiled warmly, "Ah, so you have ade'geth, ade'riv'eq'ua-Fewetv'qvpevu and ade'hor'wyik in this world too. I had thought those were only in Tento Town or in our Winter Rest Cave after the fall of M.E."

Renamon pointed to a grey foggy cluster, one that was still forming into an object. After a moment, the cluster moved to a back of a decorative lamp. The lamp was blue and had a purple shade. It was on a wooden floor-stand against the left front wall of her room, opposite a drawn wall poster of Ruki, one that had been used to advertise this year's card tournament. She smiled for a bit, "The device that will be your main tool outside of your cards but is still forming. In the meantime, we have much to discuss. I hope our partnership will be a successful one and that we will be equals in this venture."

Ruki raised her eyebrows, "And what venture with that be?"

The yellow Fox bowed low and replied, "I am offering my services as a warrior. I will serve as your protector and battle for alongside you against mindless Digimon called "Kijin". Those creatures are mere animals. They are tainted abnormalities... Like rabid beasts that need to be put out of their misery, and I intend to put an end to both their threat and their suffering..."

The ruthlessness in the Fox's words made Ruki shudder, both from fear and excitement.

The yellow fox continued, "There are other deadly Digimon, some of which are capable of varying degrees of planning, but also need to be "fractured"."

Ruki's body language indicated that she was puzzled, "What do you mean by "fractured"?"

The fox shook her head in annoyance, "The word means kill, and slay in my native language. The term comes from the fact that when our kind die, they leave no body behind but instead burst into data-packets of Fractile-Code that are Recycled as Digieggs. Here my kind are blasted into nanite-clusters that either go back to the Digital World. In ether case they can be, absorbed by other Digimon in order to grow stronger and heal injuries. There was at least one other source of data, and in theory any living program can absorb that data." The word "absorbed" made the droid shudder as though touched by a cold hand.

Ruki frowned and asked, "What's my role in this?"

Renamon paused for a moment and seemed to feel some regret about something, "You will be a strategist, and with the cards lying on your table, you can scan them into the device in order to give me special abilities. The device will even create objects we can use in battle. In my world those objects would be made out of the substance called Fractile-Code but here they are formed by modular nanites and claytonics. Fractile-Code is akin to what you would call molecules and atoms in the Digital World. The device has other functions but we will get to them after it has been created."

Ruki waited reluctantly and planned her next move.

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Six hours later...

The words on the window said, "Sending and reforming new Particles and nanites Complete. Next Task MRI U.F Scan. Beginning…"

Ruki yawned and replied, "I'm going to go to bed now. So could you leave so I can get dressed?"

The fox bowed. "My kind does not really wear clothing, unless it is for certain ceremonial occasions. That being said I am aware that you Ningins, I mean humans, do wear clothing. I'm told you consider nakedness shameful, though I'm not certain why. I may come back at some point in a new form I will be testing out. After all, your mom knows you need a bodyguard." She threw back her head and laughed.

As the living robot turned to leave, she was stopped by the human, "You are my guest, and so do you need to a place to sleep and what we do eat?"

The former program chuckled loudly and replied, "My living arrangements have already been seen to, and as for eating, my kind are programs made of data. Therefore, we usually consume orbs raw data and energy. However, here things are different. Still, I'm a veteran hunter. I and the land will get along just fine. If I need any food, I will ask for your help."

Ruki nodded as the fox turned away from her, "I'll give you anything you need Renamon. What will we do tomorrow?"

The Renamon turned to face Ruki one last time,"Tomorrow, I will give you some more information on just what we are supposed to do and how we are supposed to accomplish those tasks. Moreover, we have to figure out our working relationship with each other."

Much to Ruki's shock the fox seemed to slowly vanish in to thin air before her eyes.

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The next day…

Ruki got up and did her usual routine, however once she was done with, she started to do research. She turned to her grandmother and asked, "Say, grandma, you know how I've been keeping you guys out of my room at times and stayed on the computer all that time researching artificial intelligence? Well, I've been writing a book."

For a moment, the old woman looked surprised, "Ruki, when your father was working on that miniseries, he did research on AI because of the futuristic setting and because he wanted to know how to write a robot character with at least some realism. I think some of those books are still around."

Seiko smiled at an old memory,"I kept them because he made a wide variety of notes on them and what they might be valuable to fans of American comic books or historians. Also I found the books fascinating, though I have to wonder if some of the information isn't out of date."

Ruki replied, "I already looked at the book on Philosophical Zombies and the "Shadows of the Mind" one. I want my research to be more extensive and up-to-date. Also I'm hoping there are fans of Digimon franchise I can talk to because I want to have someone to bounce ideas off of."

The matriarch of the family smiled at the possibility bonding with her granddaughter, "I'll do what I can to help to help, however just remember that although the Internet is faster than it once was, it is still somewhat slow. So please be patient Ruki-kun."

The grandmother typed the search terms, "A.I", "Robots", and "machine learning" and then pressed the search button. At the time the average U.S Internet speed was 33 kbps for dial-up and 56 Kbps for broadband and the Japan's was 8 tbps with certain Govt. Departs. having 10 tbps.

Seiko turned to her granddaughter, the woman's eyes were filled with keen interest. The girl's eyes moved to the floor, "In the meantime, can you tell me what kind of story you working on, and what the plot is?"

Ruki looked away as guilt spread across her face. Then she looked back and stated her cover story, "For the moment, the story is slice of life but that might change later on. The premise is that data-based beings have entered our world as robots and are starting to interact with humans." 50 secs passed.

The grandmother looked thoughtful, and replied, "That sounds interesting Ruki, though it's a bit old. Ah, research results are here. This one about Kismet and Leonardo looks interesting."

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The article was dated Jun, 15th, 1996, the title was, "Kismet and Leonardo, Lifelike Robots."

The article said, "Earlier this year, Dr. Cynthia Breazeal was working on getting her doctorate. Her thesis revolved around the creation of a robot named Kismet that could express a single emotion at a time. The robot was reportedly so lifelike that Dr. Breazeal had to tell reporters, onlookers, and even some of her own colleagues that the robot was not conscious.

The future professor gave an interview said, "For now, we can only simulate a single emotion, however that may change in the future. Regardless, this machine is proof of the goals of artificial intelligence research cannot be accomplished with mere programming power but must also include a sophisticated neural network.

Without such a network, we cannot hope to make a machine that is anything but a mere program, something that cannot learn but is only capable of doing what it is programmed to do."

Furthermore, two days ago, the professor announced a secret collaboration between herself, noted A.I researcher Pro. Jonathan Brackenstein, IBM researcher Dr. Dharmendra Modha, and the recently comatose Dr. Eijiharu Zecchou of the development of a revolutionary piece of technology called the "TrueNorth" chip. The project had been in development since 1997. A lifelike robot christened "Leonardo" after the famous polymath Leonardo da Vinci was finished three weeks ago. In a press release following the demonstration, the three researchers stated that Dr. Beazeal had worked on Leonardo in her spare time, and gave her full credit for the robot's design and its construction. They stated that the machine was a proof of concept, designed to demonstrate the new computer chip's capabilities.

In spite of the excitement over the chip, several mysteries remained surrounding this achievement. One of which involved the mysterious circumstances of Dr. Zecchou's coma, as doctors stated that the car accident may not have been enough to cause it. Dr. Eijiharu Zecchouis may be best know to readers as the man who coined the term "Nouabyte" to denote how many bytes it would take to simulate a human brain and Parabytes to denote how many it would take to make a human brain with a full body.

Other mysteries involving how Dr. Beazeal was involved in the development of the computer chip, who financed the project, and the truth about partially verified rumor that Industrial Light and Magic, Jim Henson's Creature Shop, and the Bandai Corporation in a bidding war for the rights to the technology that created Leonardo remain unresolved.

Regardless, it seems that the future of artificial intelligence is looming large. In spite of this, it is possible that even with a computer that could passed the famous "Turing Test" a machine might not be conscious, but might give the appearance of being so. This might give rise to a real-life "philosophical zombie", a thought experiment that suggests that an artificial life form might not have a nervous system but can still feel pain. It would seem to be conscious, but that consciousness would be false. Like a person who feels that their severed limb is still there. Therefore, optimism about artificial intelligence to be tempered by its imitations..."

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After reading some more articles, including two titled "Bandai's latest venture to be live-action?" and "Mysterious entertainment project to have realistic animtronics", and writing down some ideas on a notepad the redhead returned to her room. There Ruki thought, "I was right, that Renamon wasn't really conscious. She's just behaving like she programmed to, I bet she wants to fight and to become stronger. Well, so do I, together no one will be able to stand against us. No living program, evil or otherwise will escape our wrath!"

A moment later, the yellow fox entered the room and rubbed her stomach like she had just eaten. She then thought for a moment and spoke, her eyes narrowed in concentration with each word chosen carefully, "I want to talk about how our partnership is going to work, there are several models we can draw from. Also I think it's a good idea, for me to lay out just what's going to happen over the next month. There are various details to deal with and there's a deadline of sorts for when we should start working together as a team."

Ruki looked surprised, "What deadline are you talking about?"

The vixen looked uncertain for a moment and then replied, "I was told that some great threat would emerge by what would be 2015 on your calendar. However, for the moment I suggest we concentrate with the basics. Specifically, our partnership and what it will entail."

Ruki gave her a puzzled glance, "Could you please restate that last part?"

The Renamon sighed and then shrugged, "I stated earlier that there are several forms our partnership could take. They are: master-warrior and apprentice, teacher and student, co-students who learn from each other, bodyguard and strategist, and my least favorite 'Ronin and master'."

The Tamer's eyes went wide and she then smirked, "The Ronin and the master one sounds like the best fit."

There was a pause as the fox stared at her Tamer in shock. Then the Digimon seemed to consider the choice as her eyes narrowed briefly. She replied, "I see... In that case, there are some rules I need to bring up, keeping them in mind will help us avoid presumably one-sided arguments and will keep us from injuring innocent bystanders."

The redhead looked annoyed but asked, "What are the rules?"

She gave her Tamer a searching look, "All the rules involve things I am... Programmed to or have learned not to do."

Ruki nodded as her eyes widened in comprehension, "So there a programmed code of ethics, like Isaac Asimov's three Laws of Robotics?"

The digital life-form nodded and, as she replied, the Digimon had a frustrated and puzzled expression on her face, "You are correct, Miss Ruki. Wait, what are those?"

Ruki said, "A science-fiction writer is someone who writes about technology, the future, and stories about beings from other planets."

The fox grinned a bit, "Miss Ruki, I understand the concept already. "

Ruki ignored the remark, "Isaac Asimov is a particularly famous science-fiction writer. My grandmother and father were fans of his work. His most famous stories are the Foundation Trilogy and those that deal with robots and how they interact with the three laws humans created for them. The first law is that a robot must not harm a human or through in action allow a human to be harmed. The second law is that a robot must obey all orders given to it by humans except those but conflict with the first law. The third and final law is that robot must protect its own existence as long as this does not conflict with the first or second law."

The Digimon nodded, "That is an apt comparison, though they have more like a list of things I will not do. Some of these things are programmed into my data and others are learned concepts."

The tomboy looked annoyed and said, "I kind of doubt you can learn but if you can, there's a big gap between you and a human. At best, you're an imperfect simulation of one made of raw data that's somehow held together!"

For a moment, the Fox frowned and then crossed her arms and replied, "Perhaps you are right, we will get to "What holds me together" later. Ruki-kun, do you want to hear the list or not?"

Ruki gave a confident smile, "Yes, I do."

Her companion nodded and said, "The first rule is… Battles must take place away from civilians and inside a digital field of custom-made materials that will protect nearby buildings from being destroyed. The fields will also keep the enemy Digimon from running amok as they will be confined to a single place.

"The second rule is... I need to be able to put your multipurpose tool on the roof so it can charge the secondary solar power source when it's not in use. During this time, I may receive information, updates to the device and my own programming, and additional information of personal importance.

"The third rule is... We both have the right to our privacy and I will sometimes go on solo missions for one reason or another. Also there will be things that I will only be on able to tell you later on for reasons of privacy and because the information is highly confidential. Also, you are not to protest or interfere if I interact with any Digimon I have met and/or currently battling."

"The fourth rule is...There are certain categories of Digimon I refuse to kill. They are Baby-Level Digimon, Child-Level Digimon, and half of all Adolescent-Levels, none of them can consent to battle yet. Also, not all civilians are human ones, so please leave them be. This last category is one you will likely find fault with, however compliance with these three rules is my main condition for submitting to you in our partnership."

"The fifth and final rule is... Our activities and my existence cannot be known. You cannot misuse the technology given to you. There will complications for us both if others learned of our activities. After all, we may have more foes then just Digimon. So it's is in your and your world's best interest if you comply."

Ruki looked thoughtful and said, "Give me a few hours to think about what you've said and after 1:30 AM come back here and I'll have my answer for you."

"Very well then..." The Fox bowed slightly and then left the room. Over the next few hours, the redhead went over the rules in her head. Then she ate lunch at 12:00 and came to a decision at 1 o'clock. She spent the next half hour relaxing and coming up with further questions for her partner.

Judging by some of the things she had written down, her curiosity about the vixen's abilities was foremost on her mind. She smiled warmly and then giggled with glee. She thought, "I can only imagine the kind of rad and interesting things that program can do. What kind of strange and wondrous powers must she have?"

She checked the clock on her desk. The Fox was late by five minutes. Ruki wondered briefly if their competition had gotten to her. However, the Fox then appeared in front of her from seemingly out of nowhere. Ruki jumped 5 feet in the air, and the yellow Digimon give her a sly grin. The furry program said, "Payback... I consider us even now. Program or not, I don't like being belittled. Particularly by someone I barely know. From now on, I will save my taunts and craftiness for our enemies. My abilities are at your disposal, Master Ruki..."

The card-player recovered after a few moments, breathing heavily, and perhaps wishing she was 20 and had some good sake or beer handy. She replied, "That's good to hear. Are we going to work together as partners now or do you have some kind of ritual? You seem very formal, the kind of person who has their rituals for one reason or another."

The Fox got on both knees and bowed her head low. She closed her eyes and said words in a odd language, one that combined six others, three of which she had never heard of before. Renamon started to speak in Japanese (Einglish to Impmon) again. Her voice was at first full of earnestness and certainty, though there were one or two points where that certainly seemed to disappear from her words. The certainty was soon replaced by regret and a slight hint of annoyance in the last sentence, "At one-time I was, a Guardian of the ancient and noble "Gatekeeper" Beast Clan... I swear on behalf of all my tribe members, my own faith in the D-Beings, and all the Renamon-Types to guide serve and protect you to the best of my ability. I will not fail, again. You have my word!"

The fox opened her eyes, and for a moment, she smiled serenely, "Like a ronin who has found a master, I was without purpose and reeling from great stress and pain until I was sent here to meet you. I'm on an epic quest, a special and most secret mission. A mission I may not be able to fulfill without your aid."

Her eyes were narrowed and determined looking. "Regardless, I will fight alongside you until we are both fractured!"

She got on one keen, then she turned around and got down on her arms as though they were her legs and "keeled", I who am from a mere gren(foxhole), remember my _Samskara no_ ævi-Enkei. (Previous-Life-Experience of Life-Story-Cycle.) Seur'gi'pt feragh/defjer Oim'utx'ic Acoata ra'nod'day! "He of Fire, pollytrans of missing and shapeless Water, Dha of Wind, S'he of Ground, Shi of Metal, and Shoos of Deathly{/^\\}Void. So to Ageless and Senshi Goddess, Norn the Þór-Visitor. I love, have faith in, and respect you all! Rid the Area of the Lords and their Tri-Tyrano Master!"

"May we two, other Tamers and C.C, and all Matter-World(s) Gods aid in this great task and the purification of D.A.D-Data." She bowed her head and her ears moved in a clerical motion, each one moving in a different direction. Then she got down on the other knee, and laughed joyfully but softy. "Oh Dai-Digimon Tamer, Ruki Makino. I and all my powers, skills, wits, and experiences are at your disposal. That is as long as you remember the rules I have mentioned we will get along well. Just remember that I expect you to be mostly polite to me, though I also expect constructive criticism and will give it when necessary. In light of that, I await your first official orders, and I look forward to working with you... Ruki-tama" The fox got up and bowed her head.

For a brief moment, Ruki was in awe, then with a brief surge of respect and bowed back. As she did so, the biracial girl got on one knee, her hands were posed awkwardly. Her new partner looked puzzled, shocked, disgusted, and perhaps slightly angry at the pose.

The program then got into the Lotus-position and meditated for a few moments. Then she got up and thought. She finally replied, "There is much we have to do, my Tamer, particularly over the next few days. There is much training, surveillance of potential trouble spots, and I still have to explain, like how the cards you possess may be the key to many of our victories."

Ruki looked at the fox in puzzlement, "In the meantime, there's something I've been wondering about."

The Fox seemed curious and replied, "And what would that be?"

After a moment's hesitation, the redhead replied, "In order for us to effectively fight together, I need to know the full extent of your abilities. It's probably a good idea for me to witness your attacks in action as well."

The program gave her a slight grin and replied, "Could you please write something down for me? I don't know how to write or read Kanji. Perhaps you would teach me to read it sometime?"

Ruki retrieved pencil and paper from the top of her book self and waited for her partner to start dictating. "Let me know when you're ready to begin." The Fox nodded and after pausing for a moment replied, "I am ready now." She began dictating:

"Meet me the day after tomorrow at 12:30 PM, on the roof of the following address... Also doesn't worry about trespassing, the building's owner know about me and you. Also, the top of the building will be covered by a layer of fog to protect us from view. Future practice sessions will be either be in abandoned buildings or will take place in areas we are not likely to be disturbed in and will have been thoroughly vetted beforepaw."

The redhead replied, "I understand, that being said that's not a nice part of town so I'm kind of concerned..."

The Digimon gave her a reassuring smile, "Besides me, you are constantly being watched by other more experienced protectors. Also the cab driver who will pick you up is an ally of ours, though you wouldn't know it by look alone." She then checked the clock earnestly.

The 10-year-old asked, "Are you going to leave now?"

Her partner nodded and said, "There are preparations to make, and I need to look for something." She then gave a bow and left without a word.

Ruki's eyes were filled with curiosity and the next day passed slowly, and her grandmother was curious as to what was going on.

- **DTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTP*DTPDTPDTDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTP DTPDTPDTDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTPDTDTPDTPDTPDTPDTP** **DTP** -

Ruki explained to Seiko that cab had come to pick her up and she was going to see "a friend with a mutual interest in Digimon" Seiko assumed she was talking about Takato. The elderly woman was pleased that her granddaughter had reunited with him and was somewhat saddened when redhead she said it was someone else. When the cab came to pick her granddaughter up, Seiko watched her go. The cab took Ruki to an abandoned building and she got out. She then paid the driver, who gave her a thumbs up sign, before she walked into the building.

After going up three flights of stairs, Ruki rested on the rooftop for a moment before scanning her surroundings... The roof was large and the digital field covered three buildings of the same height that were separated by an equal distance of 10 feet. The roof the tomboy was on had a steel wall, a decently sized boulder, a large wooden target, a bag of water bottles plus first-aid supplies and snacks, several other objects, and was covered in a strange gray substance that was itself covered by a transparent one.

The entire area looked like a training facility that seemed like it wouldn't be out of place in an episode of the original, "Kamen Rider" series. The cardplayer chuckled softly as she thought, "Those guys had some really tough and bizarre training, but it's worth it in the end because they got stronger. And that's exactly what I want this Renamon to be."

The Fox in question was examining the target and carried a clipboard and pencil. She appeared satisfied with whatever she was doing and checked the final box on the paper attached to the clipboard. Then she turned around and noticed her partner. The Renamon smiled warmly and approached the girl. The Fox went around the target and took out a light brown rectangular box with a white cover. She placed it before Ruki, and the girl asked, "What kind of training set up is this and what's in the box?"

Her partner gave a smile of satisfaction and then took in the scene. She then replied, "This training area allows me to demonstrate my various abilities and attacks. Later on, it will also be modified so I can hone my skills and constantly improve them. Once your device is ready, you can begin a training regimen of your own and we can try various strategies we can later use against our opponents. "

Ruki rubbed her hands together excitedly and gazed intently at the Fox.

Her partner shook her head, "However, before I demonstrate my abilities, there are one or two things we need to go over."

The redhead gave her an annoyed look and asked," What things are those?"

The fox laughed at the look on the Tamer's face, "In the first place, I suspect that you misunderstand what I am. If I were simply data, I could not exist in a unsimulated world, at least as far as I know. Even if I could, I would not be able to interact with things physically and would instead plummet to the ground or float through the air like a helpless spirit."

Considering what she had seen as the Fox was forming, Ruki understandably had a baffled expression on her face. "Then, why isn't that happening?"

The Fox responded, "I'm an anthropomorphic android composed of mechanical cells, the Cyber-Cells are composed of nanites. Specifically, three special kinds, nano cars, nano-planes, and under certain situations, nano-boats. Furthermore, in order to think, I have a 2.6-2.9 parabyte bionic brain. I also need a way to transfer electricity so the information could move around. I'm a machine with sensors as artificial nerves and muscles. In spite of my nano boats, I don't know how to swim, but due to a special removable layer of a certain meta-material I can walk on water.'

Ruki nodded, "Why can't you swim?"

An unreadable expression formed on the Fox's face, but the fact that her ears drooped spoke volumes, "There was never any need for me to do so, and the first realm has no water at all, save for the occasional visitor who possesses water based attacks."

For a moment, the tall and imposing android gave an involuntary shudder as her pupils shrunk dramatically, ears drooped and twitched, finger taps to against her thigh, and stared into space for minute. After that, consciousness returned and the formerly digital life-form muttered something, but vaguely sounded like a prayer before voicing another concern, "Also, I should warn you I don't know how much good I'm going to be if it snows. I hate snow and snowstorms! They bring me a unique form of pain. One you might be able to sympathize with, to some degree at least. Indeed, I suspect that's one of the reasons why we're together now."

The fox gave the sky a wary look before continuing, "Back home, there is a device inside of me, a "Data Core" that contains my personality and memories. Projectors attached to the core project an alternative form of light-like data, by triggering a special state of um, particles I guess. These pseudo-photons are made up of tiny pieces of Fractile Code that capture my movements and project a live hologram of sorts."

The Fox's partner gave her a surprised look and asked, "So you're actually a living hologram in the Digital World?"

The partner nodded at her Tamer replied, "Huh. If that's the case then how could you hold say, a clipboard and pencil where you come from?"

The vixen chuckled softly, "I don't know. Coding and Parahyper-physics was never something I was trained or given update-patches for. I'm more of a storyteller. Maintenance programs might know about those things. Mom says that they run into all kinds of unusual data, and they can live for thousands of years. According to a historian I met and worked with once, Earth TV programs and other info form the basis of much of the media from the time of the Empire."

Ruki looks somewhat annoyed at the lack of an explanation and her partner shrugged.

Ruki considered this for 15 minutes, smiled and said, "Alright, now let's see what you can do Renamon!"


	7. Dai Demonstration! Behold a Fox's Power!

The vixen nodded, "First, we have to take some safety measures. If you haven't gone to the restroom recently, go into the building through the roof door and do so now please."

Ruki remembered the cab ride and the walk upstairs and apparently decided not to take chances. She came back up the stairs from the last floor three minutes later. She looked around the roof hesitantly as though she expected the entire scene to have faded away due to its complexity and implausibility. After hesitating for a moment, she pinched herself lightly and then went back to her previous location.

Her partner pointed at the box and then bent down to pull the paper lid off it.

Inside the box was a strange mostly gray body-suit, which somewhat resembled a futuristic diving outfit.

The suit was shiny and metallic. The material was multilayered, lightweight, but tough, and 2 inches thick. It was colored gray, but had a yellow band that surrounded the middle of the neck and three red bands around each wrist. A very short purple scarf (bearing the same symbol as the one on Renamon's gloves) was tied around the neck. There was a white circle with a burning blue heart with a crack in the middle (that had a lightning bolt going through the crack) on the chest and on her stomach were three red triangles. There was also a utility belt plated in gold witch went above the hips and had a silver "box-out" buckle on the front. The buckle was decorated with a symbol depicted the four elements (color-coded) surrounding a smaller circle. Inside of this was a brown violin interlocked with a pixilated musical note, and a vertically facing red colored crossbow that had red pixels dripping from it.

Underneath the symbol were the words, "(Battle. Armored. Tamer. System.) B.A.T.S Suit. Deputized Instrument-Agent 04- Category: TAMER&PARTNER Subclass: Wild One Hunter. Kind: Ninginmon- A.C.I.N (Automatic C-Cycle. Identification Number) 764886. Self-Designation: Ruki the Digimon Queen. Attacks: N/A. Family Unit: Makino Clan (3 in #, 01 Dead)- Other Info:GI-F GE-M(?). RO-N/A. SO(?)-Pending. Attacks: N/A Age: 9"

The bottom of the white colored shoes were composed of six layers: one for kinetic energy power generation and storage, one for sensors, one made of gold, one made of rubber, and one made up of a heat deflecting material that covered a thin layer of graphene for support and strength.

The suit included odd looking safety goggles that looked like they came out of a high budget science-fiction film.

The Renamon spoke, "Please put on the suit and then the goggles."

Ruki gave her partner a slightly annoyed look and the Fox responded by narrowing her eyes and pointing at the box, "The suit is to protect you from harm. I would prefer not to kill you by accident during training. It along with the nano-claytonic constructs created from the device that is still being assembled will protect you during battle. My skin is stronger than yours, though not as strong as a dragon's hide."

The redhead rolled her eyes and put on the suit as the living weapon looked away, her body language indicating what could be best described as naïve curiosity. Then the digital kitsune closed her eyes, "While you are taking care of that, I will go over the routine I have in mind one last time." After three minutes passed, the comfortable but not form-fitting suit was on as Ruki zipped up the zipper in the back and then put on the goggles.

As she did, so a three layer flap was magnetically sealed over the zipper, and then similar flaps were sealed elsewhere, particularly around the rebreather and the goggles. A moment later a projected image, from the interior of the goggles appeared. A voice came from the image, "Protective suit and goggle tutorial available, in order to respond say "yes" "no" or "maybe later". A more basic tutorial about the suit on its own is also available from the built-in Gennai-type program that runs the entire system."

The Tamer considered for a moment before she said, "Yes to the brief tutorial."

A young man with brown hair wearing a white shirt and brown pants was projected before her. He looked vaguely familiar.

Ruki strained her memory and then she thought, 'Wait a second... Gennai-type program? As in the character from "Digimon Adventure"? They couldn't be. He was old and had a big nose. This guy was younger looking and had a smaller nose.'

Regardless of the truth, the goggle's program spoke, "Greetings, the following is a short explanation of the suit's function and abilities. The suit is composed of three layers of very strong and hard materials. They are: Nano-Goethite" (a material based on "limpet teeth), Graphene, and Carbyne.

The protective suit also includes a small rebreather, micro-sensors for information gathering among other things, and special goggles made out of the only one of the three that is transparent. The goggles will give you will night vision, thermal vision, and will give you status updates on your partner's health in normal mode. Apparently, the goggles were originally going to be contact lenses but that didn't work out due to time and resource constraints. End of tutorial."

The living weapon approached the target as the Tamer looked on. The show was about to begin.

The female fox said clearly, "All Adolescent-Level Digimon have only three basic attacks, but there is also a secret school of martial arts. One now mostly used by solitary practitioners in the Leomon Clans, and certain members of the same peacekeeping group I represent. One of these is the signature move of my people, but it is one that most of the relatively peaceful members of my clan have never learned. Only our guardians, myself included, know these deadly techniques. They are just one of the secrets we guard. I sometimes wish I knew more of them but for now our clan leader keeps me out of the loop at times."

The pseudo-kitsune was lost in thought for a moment before she snapped back to reality, "First, I will show you the three basic attacks, then I will reveal the martial arts techniques I have learned."

The burning brawler leapt up into the air and shouted, "Naiya-Arashi!" After a moment, around 20 diamond shards mysteriously appeared from the front of Renamon's body and struck the target. Some of them even hit the bull's-eye. Ruki stared in awe...

After pausing for a moment, the "Great Hunter" shouted, "Touhakken!"

Her feet and fists were engulfed by eerie blue light, before being engulfed again in raging blue flames. The yellow powerhouse brought her fist down on the metal plate slashing and punching it for a few moments as it was first dented and then melted. Then the Fox jumped into the air and struck a somewhat thinner steel plate with a single mighty kick! The plate was at first only dented and sizzling but then melted through.

Ruki stared at this feat in shock, "So, you're a master of the ancient martial art of blow em up real good?"

The tailed fighter chucked softly, "I guess you could put it that way."

She then demonstrated the third attack and as a BlackTailmon emerged from the fog and tried to attack with "Cat's Eye", the Fox averted its gaze. Still, the Virus-Type got in a few good hits.

It soon became clear that the burning brawler was at a disadvantage in the mock fight/training demonstration. She was taking more damage than one might expect from each hit. Each blow the Renamon landed did less or sometimes very little damage than her special attacks and physical assaults might have otherwise done so. Furthermore, although both opponents had similar agility, the Fox had greater speed, but the cat Digimon was more resistant to damage and could strike with slightly more force than the taller warrior could. That being said, the vixen's kicks were powerful and her opponent's level disadvantage was somewhat compensated by its striking power, the mysterious extra damage its attacks caused, and the cat's durability. Ruki wondered for a moment if she should intervene, but the gloved guardian noticed the change in her micro-expressions and stance and asked her to stay put.

Then the vixen's form changed as specialized mobile micro-sensors scanned attack data from its opponent and shouted, "Stolen Kougeki!" The move that had just been used was copied and the cat was hypnotized. After a few moments, the yellow Fox snapped her fingers and the cat was returned to normal. Then it left after giving the Fox a somewhat uncomfortable look.

The redhead looked impressed, "That's a powerful move. It must come in handy."

Her partner shook her head, "It has several limitations. For one thing, the opponent must be also be an adolescent or adult level, must be within eyesight, must not be currently performing the attack, and it must have already performed the desired move at least once during battle. This being said it is quite useful in battle, and it also has certain utilitarian uses as well."

The 10-year-old nodded and asked, "You said that you were going to perform some kind of martial arts moves next?"

The Great Hunter nodded back, "In my world, the territorial limits of clan and village settlements are patrolled by qualified Field Guardians. I used to be one so I have specialized training, such as the Shizi-Wu'dang or Blue Flame fighting style. The first move I'm going to show you was originally one of my type's three basic attacks. However, it did not prove to be ineffective against the hard skin of dragons during the time of the Dramon's Roar. So it was replaced by the "Diamond Storm" technique. That being said, the attack is ancient and is considered to be one of my type's signature moves. Indeed "Diamond Storm" and it are often confused in our stories. During battle I might even say the wrong attack name at times. There is a way to get around this problem but that's not our focus for today."

Ruki groaned when the fox said she might get confused. She took a deep breath,"Alright, show me the techniques then. Since they're supposed to be secret, I won't tell anyone about them."

The yellow-furred fighter clarified one small matter, "Um, Ruki. It's not the Shizi-Wu'dang themselves that are secret, it's how to do them and how to teach them that are kept from non-students of the art."

The girl blushed, "Even if you are just a battle-program, I want us to be on good terms, that being said I do expect you to follow my orders..."

The Digimon winched slightly but then give a small bow and replied, "Of course, Mistress..."

The girl stepped back slightly and for a moment, she seemed confused by the thoughts running through her head. However, she quickly rejected them with a shudder of uncomfortableness. An awkward silence filled the air until the girl voiced her concern, "Please don't say that, it somehow sounds both, creepy... And a bit too feminine for my liking..."

The leaping grenade looked of the ground in embarrassment, "I mean, Master Ruki."

After a minute or two passed, Ruki became cheerful once more, "Good, now show me your forbidden martial-arts techniques and make every ninja and martial artist in fiction looks stupid..."

For a moment, the speedy fighter frowned in puzzlement, but then she shrugged, "I know not what a ninja is, but I will do my best to impress you."

She then walked back to the target, leapt up into the air once more and shouted, "Leo-Wu'dang Move: "Koyousetsu!"

After two seconds passed, the symbols on her legs glowed with power and many false leafs formed in front of her clenching hands and quickly spread out. Then a barrage of green razor-sharp leaves came out from her body and struck the target, one of them even lodged dead center in the circle in the middle of the target.

The redhead nodded in approval, and then frowned as she voiced a concern, "Will you be shouting all your attacks during battle? Why do you do that?"

The yellow powerhouse seemed unsurprised by the question, "What kind of warrior would I be if I constantly shouted out the names of my attacks? That being said the archaic tradition I am now following regarding the shouting of attacks is quite old. It may have been part of our programing at one point... There are many stories of warriors who do so and it has become a "cliché"... It has been the subject of satire and farce. Nevertheless, I might shout out the attack's name if I believe it will give me a psychological advantage. I may even cry out the name of one attack before doing different one if it allows me to win."

The 10-year-old shook her head, "Careful now Renamon, just because we aren't sure what the rules are in this competition doesn't mean we'll go around cheating..."

The vixen crossed her arms, "You will learn the rules soon enough, however while this may seem like a contest to you, it is not. There are criminals to be fractured, and desperate struggles to be waged."

The Tamer realized that they were getting off-topic and asserted her dominance by saying, "Enough! I'm disappointed... You're more excitable and talkative then I expected. I had hoped you would be calm like the card game lore and the various animes suggested."

The Digimon tried to shrug but failed, "My core personality trait is calmness but it's been suppressed. I would have thought that being eerily calm and accepting like a Stingmon-Type Taoist monk would be unnerving."

Ruki sighed, "Perhaps you're correct. What other abilities do you possess?"

The furred female gave her toothy grin and replied, "This!"

The Grand Trapper jumped through the air once more, "Iron Body Sub-Move: Power Paw!"

Her clenched fist slammed into a solid brick wall, then she walked away. After two moments had passed, the brick wall had a large hole in it. Ruki stared in stunned silence for a moment, and then started to clap. A few minutes later, she did a similar demonstration with a small boulder, her fist punching through solid rock. The tomboy whistled in delighted surprise.

Her partner bowed, "For my next feat, I will jump from one building to another!"

Ruki looked worried, "That looks like a distance of 10 feet. You'd need to be an insect to even try it!"

The Fox rolled her eyes, "Well, as I said I'm like a flea in certain respects... But in all seriousness, the distance is actually 11 feet and the minimum distance I can jump easily is 12 and a half feet. The maximum safe distance is 15, and with the device working, I might reach 20 or even 25 feet in the air. As you can imagine, my Type makes spectacular acrobats, perhaps I can one day I can take you to see such a spectacle."

Ruki looked intrigued and motioned her to go on, "When will you be ready to do it?"

For a moment, the worldly warrior assumed a look of absolute concentration and her partner imagined all the variables swirling around in the Fox's head so they could find their proper place and significance. The Fox's next words were calm, somehow determined, and reassuring, "I am ready now, and all the preparations are also ready. Just let me get into the proper position... There, now because of my powerful legs, I don't need to get a running start unless I want to jump 15 feet, the maximum safe distance. Now watch closely."

The Digimon walked over to the edge of the roof and then leapt through the air, towards the nearest building. One also conveniently covered by the same gray fog. In spite of this, a loud thump was heard as the yellow furred creature landed safely. After a few moments passed, the Digimon landed gracefully and softly on the other building again. The fox said, " Once the device starts working, I might be able to temporarily leap 20 or even 25 feet in the air. As you can imagine my type makes spectacular acrobats, perhaps I can one day take you to see such a spectacle. Anyway, next up is speed..."

The former hunter then reached into one of the pockets of her belt and pulled out a folded map. She knelt on the ground and unfolded the map, the redhead got on her knees and looked at the map.

It was of the city and had various points surrounded with a red circle, a few other points were surrounded with smaller yellow circles, one place had a thick blue circle around it, other locations had purple circles, and there were also moving dots of various colors as well. The map also had strange symbols that might have been writing on it in the place of English letters or Japanese kajni and katakana characters.

Ruki felt a surge of curiosity and drew her finger along the paper. She thought, 'It feels odd and unnatural, I suspect I'll have to get used to those feelings.' The Digimon then pointed at a location on the map and spoke, "This wooded area near the Mount Fuji, area... It's in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and has an isolated stretch of road that is deserted at certain times of the day. no one will see us there."

Ruki looked a bit fearful, "Is that near Aokigahara?"

The tailed fighter continued speaking, "No, but it's close to that place. And if someone does see us, a cover story has already been created. However, we're going to need someone with your mother's resources to pull it off. The basic idea is that is that I am someone wearing a very realistic costume complete with movable jaw in preparation for a live action Digimon Movie. This way I can appear in public, if necessary a projection that would be put over my current form like a third skin."

The Fox then gave her the longitude and latitude and street address of the starting location. Then Ruki was given the time and with which they were supposed to meet and frowned, "I'm uncertain how I would feel about there being a live-action movie, but I am certain that getting up early tomorrow is not what I had in mind."

The false kitsune shared her frustration, "I am annoyed as well, however the opportunities to do something so public without me being spotted or being hit by a car are few and far between. I suppose I could wear a suit similar to yours that would make me invisible but we would still have to find an isolated spot of at least 50 or 60 miles in length. However, the suit is expensive and time-consuming to make and I've been told it won't be ready yet for at least 20 more days. It won't exactly be comfy to wear but it will keep me from being seen when I have to get somewhere fast."

The redhead sighed and said, "All right, we'll do it tomorrow! I may as well get it over with…"

"Also take this stopwatch, I presume you'll want to time me?" The Renamon reached into the pockets of the belt around her waist and pulled out a stopwatch. She then handed it to the Tamer, who took it and put it in her pocket.

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The next day, same month, and same year.

Ruki got up before dawn and was picked up by the same cabdriver who had driven her previously. The location she was driven to was the start of a 50 mile stretch of dirt road outside of city limits. It connected to a bunch of houses that had presumably been abandoned, by humans...

One man and one woman came out of one of the houses to greet her, they apparently used some terminology based on orchestral words memes, and OOP-net slang, essentially speaking a secret dialect or argot. They said that using musical terminology was ironic, and that an orchestral piece had not been performed for the last 3'000 years where they come from.

They wore civilian outfits, specifically jeans with a T-shirt. The woman had long sleeves and the man had short sleeves, she had short hair and he had long hair. The woman's eyes were blue and the man's eyes were dark they patted her down and used a handheld device to scan for bugs. Finally, after asking her a few security questions and examining her ear and fingerprints they started to talk more freely with her.

The woman with short brown hair spoke, " Since your partner vouches for you and you have passed our security measures, I will give a brief explanation as to what this places. You will probably be coming here frequently, particularly if more monsters come here. This place is a safe house of sorts"

The one with long brown hair said, "The technology and weapons we provided will protect you from Kijin and Aku-Kuukuo, but ningin civilians don't have the experience or training to protect them. Hopefully you and your teammates can help keep them safe."

The redheaded gave him a skeptical look and then laughed without humor, "Teammates? I don't even know if I want to do this yet, that won't happen until I fight my first battle. Even if I do agree, that doesn't mean I'm going to be working with anybody. I've been betrayed three times already, and you people are sketchy as it is. She wants to be stronger and I want her to get stronger, we'll probably end up trusting each other with our lives but that will be as far as it goes..."

The woman with short brown hair looked disappointed but remained hopeful, "We would hope that the two of you will one day become friends, that she'll be a part of your family. Maybe you could mentor other Tamers and join with them to guard this city?"

Ruki clutched her fist and narrowed her eyes in anger, before bitterly saying, "Friendship is a delusion, family will neglect you, and mentors will betray the very values you stand for... All of them let you run around like the world is safe all the time but even without all the battle programs running around there are criminals and corrupt people. The place I live in is a haven for Japan's own unique gangs."

Ruki continued her raging rant, "The only thing you can trust is an ally or partner, and even then you can't trust the future or anyone else around you.. I don't trust you, I know I'm your tool, but I also know you probably won't hurt me because you need me to keep these people safe. So I'll do your job, and I'll stand against all threats that the strongest weapon in the world on my side! No criminal, or threat will dare touch me and my family then... We'll be a law unto ourselves!"

The Fox walked closer to the redhead and as her eyes widened she frowned in disappointment, "I find your words to be... Discomforting at best. I was looking forward to finding out what friendship was all about..."

Her partner responded with biting sarcasm, "You're not missing much... It's a big adventure, tons of fun filled with beautiful hearts, people who are faithful and strong, and kindness aplenty... But there's no magic to be found here. Friendship is as ludicrous as a purple unicorn with wings... Let's start the test before I start crying like a little, girl..."

The redhead got out of her wristwatch and set it for 20 minutes and aimed a gun of the kind used by police to monitor the speeds of passing cars. Then the recording of a gunshot was heard and that crouching kitsune shot down the dusty road like a plane traveling at Mach 3. She ran for 50 miles and then came back. Ruki looked at her wristwatch and then at the speed-gun, her pupils widened in shock... The warrior had run an astonishing 50 mph and had completed a 50 mile run in only five minutes... The 10-year-old quipped, "I think we can safely say that no dog is ever going to catch you in a hunt."

The gloved guardian chuckled, "Well, a dog would make for some nice variety, but I try not to eat people's pets..."

Ruki gave her a look of disbelief…

The Renamon shook her head in puzzlement and frustration, "Why are you looking at me like? I do not need nutrients but I do need energy to survive. I'm a carnivore, and I'm used to hunting mindless animals for my food. The idea of paying for food without having earned and being able to personally assure that the animal I'll be eating has not suffered is both confusing and disturbing. Besides, your city has stray cats to spare."

The Tamer shrugged with reluctant acceptance, "All right, as long as you don't accidentally eat someone's pet, it's none of my affair, and having you be self-sufficient make things easier for me. I would prefer not to be caught secretly removing leftovers from her friends and having to explain that."

The leaping grenade replied, "Hopefully over the next few days will be able to learn what our strengths and weaknesses are. Once we're ready, a test case of a weak opponent will be provided for us. If we can defeat them, then we will be sent more challenging opponents until the first round of criminals are beaten."

After this, the tween girl went home and checked the progress of the device which was hidden under a small box-crate, over which was a metal box of cards, small items, and notes for a short story the room's occupant was writing.

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8 days later... "Process complete, beginning "Frustum" Task… 1st layer: Magnetic Field forming over F.C."

4 hours later... "M.F covering complete."

2nd layer starting: Programmable Matter…"The P.M formed into shapes. Making Hardware and circuitry for the Digimon Encyclopedia Memory, and other functions such as solar batteries, nano-batteries, and bio-electricity for power. All hardware surrounds a magnetic field generator within fractal codes.

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3 days later….

"2nd layer complete, starting on 3nd layer: half-inch thick Graphene inner-shell, including touch-screen and ring for attaching to belt .

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4 days later…

"Final layer: two-colored rubber casing made by P. insulation against internal and external electric shocks. Task Complete, Device is ready for use. 8)#)".

The weekend of the first week of school had come and Ruki went to check the device. When she lifted off the box, Ruki stared in pleasant shock, her eyes open wide, a smile of relief and trial slowly forming on her face, and she held onto the box like she was about to drop it, which was certainly a possibility. She took out the earbuds from a customized addition to her card pouch thay now also included a keychain. One of the two keys on it had the words "Theater skeleton key, use in emergency only" in kanji, and the other was a key to the back door of her house they could also use on the front doors if the card key wouldn't work for some reason.

The new keys and the secret compartment for the earbuds wasn't the only thing she had been getting into, besides school for the last few days. She had also been training with her partner, and was slowly starting to get used to being carried around by the androgynous looking Fox. She didn't have much choice. Some foes would probably require fast evasion, great leaps across rooftops, or great speed to keep up with. However, the girl was now puzzled by how the device was formed.

Somewhat understandably, the redhead seemed confused, "What is this thing?"

The yellow powerhouse looked at it and smiled fondly, "This is a "Digital-Architecture Generator", also known as a "D-Arc Generator". Long ago when the device became widely used among civilians, they called it a "D-Arc" for the sake of simplicity. Also, as I stated earlier, it will be your main tool."

With some hesitation, the redhead picked up the device. It was small and felt like rubber. She ran taped the screen. It felt almost like glass but somehow seemed different and stronger. When she did get a good look of the buttons, she was surprised that there were only four of them. One button was yellow, almost gold and had the words "ON/OFF" written in black and red. There were two identical blue buttons on either side, in between them was a silver button marked "Select". The girl turned the device over in her head and saw something odd, one of the sides was slightly longer than the other.

That side also had a small button, and after the redhaired girl pressed it, nothing happened for a moment, then a cord popped out of it. It seemed to be the same size as the Renamon's link cable. She thought, 'I wonder if this device is supposed to link up to her somehow? I think I'll turn the device on and... Huh, was that small red cap there on the top before?' Using her fingernail Ruki barely succeeded in lifting it up due to the short length of her nails. Underneath the cap was a small button.

The Tamer pressed it and nothing happened for a full minute, then the side of the device got smaller and both sides were symmetrical once more. The biracial girl stared in awe of the device. However, her partner didn't look that impressed.

The walking weapon stated, "In ancient times, devices like these were used for research by a civilization of scientists and researchers. Many millennia later, another civilization refined this technology into a powerful weapon that could create Fractile-Code or in this case nano-tech constructs, among other things. You are an heir to that heritage, please wield this device wisely and well."

She gave the vixen a determined look, "I'll try my best to do so..."

Her partner nodded and replied, "If you don't, I might have to take that away from you, either under orders or for your own good. That being said, once you learn how to use it, this will be a mighty weapon and a powerful tool."

Ruki gave the Fox a look and asked, "Do you know how this device works?"

She replied, "Yes, but I am not a technician and it may have features that I am unaware of. It's also possible that there are certain functions that only you can access to keep the device from being taken and misused. It's also entirely possible it might have some kind of defensive features to keep it from being taken but that is just speculation on my part."

The redhead smiled confidently, and turned the device on. Three minutes passed and the device went from a blank white screen to black with green text but stated the device was turning on. The tomboy growled and frustration as the device slowly turned on for the first time. Finally, six hours had passed, and after the device did some kind of internal diagnostic in order to make sure everything was functioning properly, it had been on for 7 1/2 hours and nothing of interest had happened. However, now the device was ready.

There was a blank window that had the words optional tutorial written in green on it. Ruki pressed the two buttons on both sides and the window slid across the screen and was replaced by another one with green text that said, "list of recent updates." The redhead pressed the select button of the screen and it showed that there were no updates and she tried pressing the back button and the options menu was shown. The child then went to the next function.

This one was labeled, "Nano-Tech and Meta-Material Constructs". The tomboy grinned broadly, "Radical, mon, radical!" For a moment, she laughed at how stupid the phrase sounded and then pressed the select button. To her surprise the screen was not split down the middle by an orange line. Using the two "arrow keys" Ruki went from one option to the other. The left side of the screen said, "M.M Nano-Tech Tools' and the right side said, "M.M Nano-Tech Weapons".

Ruki then selected the weapons option, and a hologram was created and after a minute and a half, the once pixelated image revealed of variety of weapons, something that could be best described as "Power Armor" with wrist blades that could be manually interchanged with three other weapons, a wrist mounted shield coupled with a multi-purpose hammer, something that looked like a grenade, and a device labeled, "light-saber". The human stared at the last option with amazement.

The Fox looked at her with amusement and said, "Before you consider using one of the weapons, perhaps we should go to a more secure location so that you don't damage your own room and you don't have to explain the damage to your grandmother. By the way, I've noticed that your grandmother isn't around all that often. I'm curious, what is keeping her away from her home? I suppose it could be work but during one of our previous meetings, didn't you say she was retired?"

The redhead give a long sigh and replied, "She was retired for two years before she started to feel bored and purposeless. She tried a few different things before she started a new theater project. Said theater's name was changed from the "Okuni Metropolitan-Theater" to the Nodo Nizaemon Theater" after her husband. It's the only theater in Japan where women play the female parts in the Kabuki-style of theater."

At first, the battle monster seemed to think the name "Nizaemon" was the name of a Digimon and her face assumed a puzzled look. "You know a surprising amount of information about theater."

Ruki blushed a bit, "Understandably, my grandmother is a bit of a theater buff, also my mom is a model who became a professional voice actress last year. She learned that the theater where her husband used to work, the place they met, and went on many dates together, had started to fall into disrepair and was for sale."

The fox nodded and asked,"So your grandmother asked your mom for, um, a loan?"

The readhead shook her head, "No, we have a family trust we can draw from. To stop ourselves from spending too much we have a set budget for each month and we list our purchases every month, or every week in my case. Mom often sends hers by e-mail due to her work sometimes taking her to other places. Anyway, after saving up her money for three months, grandma succeeded in buying the theater and spent three years restoring it to its former glory. Two years ago, she started running the theater as well as owning it. Three months ago, the theater put on its first original production in a decade. Oddly enough, it was an anthology story and my grandmother asked me to submit a short story that will be turned into part of the play. I based it on one of my father's light-novels, the only one of them he really enjoyed writing. Anyway, why don't we go to that secure location of yours and we'll see about testing our new equipment?"

The Great Hunter smiled warmly, "Very well, though there are three more features you will need to learn how to use. "

The Tamer groaned, "And what are those?"

The burning brawler pulled back all three of her fingers, one at a time, "The Digimon Analyzer feature, the Option-Card feature, and lest I forget it, the feature that allows you to detect one of my kind that has emerged into this universe. Also please put on your suit before you actually activate the weapons, I would prefer my partner not lose a limb to carelessness."

Ruki thought for a moment and then nodded. After that, she went to her card box, spent 60 minutes picking out all the Option Cards, selected the ones she found interesting, or useful and, and filled her card-sleeve with as many of them as it could hold. She then placed all the non-option cards inside the box crate from earlier, and put the remaining option cards in her customized card box.

The two went outside and the Digimon looked around just to be safe. Then she picked her Tamer up, leapt through the air and landed on the top of the house. Then she leaped onto the high wall that obscured the house from view, then she leapt onto the nearest rooftop and went from one rooftop to another (by this point the fighting monster knew the blind spots of the various cameras along that route well) until they reached their destination. Like she had done before, the vixen ran up the stairway until they reached the 40th floor and then the rooftop.

The false kitsune got on her knees and the girl landed feet first on the ground with a dull thud.

The nine year old pressed the back button on the device, several times and the device went back to the main menu. Using the arrow keys, she scrolled past four features until she reached the one she wanted to try. Ruki said,"Let's test the analyzer feature first, it seems to be the least dangerous and I'm curious as to what it says about you."

The tailed fighter gave her consent with a nod and the tomboy activated the Analyze feature, an image of the vixen in midair was projected into the air and the image was accompanied by text.

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The text read, _"Renamon_ -Type Info-

 **Gen. Info -**

Gender:Female ㈊9

Cho-Type: Beast-Person

Kindred Civilization: Nature Spirits Confederation/Beast Rulerdom

Family Unit: Gatekeeper Clan, an influential though recently isolated community affiliated with both the Nature Spirits Confederation/Beast Rulerdom and the Metal Empire.

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Now the redhead had a look of confusion and embarrassment on her face. She showed the specific entry to her confused partner. The entry was marked, "Current Marital Status: (click tab to see words) _"

For a moment there was utter silence and the Fox just stared at the entry in shock as emotional wounds old and new surfaced. She angrily slammed one of her feet/paws into the ground with enough force to slightly sake the whole roof. As she did so she muttered curses and insults that were utterly foreign to Ruki, but still had the intended effect. The leaping grenade looked like she could have ripped a Wingmon in half with a look of pure anger!

After a few moments more her ears of drooped, and she stared at her partner in shame. Her voice was tinged with regret and worry, "Please don't use any of the curses or insults I just did. You'll only make humans confused and get has both of us in trouble. As for the person who wrote this… This, this, degrading and hurtful invasion of privacy! I will see to it that they are fired from their job, and if they have arms or legs I will break them in half. If they are (a soon to be ex) member of my clan, I almost shudder to think what my mother, if not my entire family, will do to them when she finds out about this."

The Tamer had a nervous look for a moment before she continued reading.

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Age: Late 70s

Ruki stared in shock at the age shown, and then looked back at her partner. The fox raised an eyebrow in curiosity and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

The redhead looked at the vixen and said, "It says that your in your 70s, that would make you almost as old as my grandmother. I'm surprised by that, you don't look like you're that old. You don't have any wrinkles or any other signs of aging."

The gloved guardian threw back her head and gave an amused and hearty laugh before she became serious and contemplative. She looked at the sky as if in awe for a moment and then moved her eyes to gaze back at Ruki and said, "My kind, age differently then you ningins. As a colleague of mine said recently, "We are in a few ways like vampires, the older we get, the more powerful we become, and the greater variety of 'Mode' forms, we may be able to take." Indeed, in certain respects I am like a vampire-tortoise-flea. I grow stronger as I age, yet I do not age and up to a certain point my physical form. Changing altogether, and like a flea I can jump high and am difficult to tell apart from a mail off my kind. The same applies to any gender. "

The tomboy looked confused, "Don't you mean either sex?"

Her partner gave her a sad, pitying, awkward, helpless, and frustrated look and muttered, "You poor fool, how easy your life might be if you knew that you were not alone and figuring things out and that the world was much bigger, more complex, more wonderful, and more terrifying than you might imagine. I suppose that will be among the many things I will have to teach you as we work together."

For a moment she had a faraway look as though remembering something, and for a brief moment she smiled, then a look of pain and sorrow crossed her eyes before it disappeared like a phantom. The Fox then pointed at the device and motioned for the redhead to continue her reading.

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Attribute: Data.

 **Battle Stats -**

Attribute Weakness: Data is weak against Virus, Akukara-Virus (Jaaku-Uirusuon) .

-Virus, and Variable.

Intelligence level: 4 (IQ120-131)

Emotional Intelligence: Varies from 90-131

Strength level: Average.

Speed: High (40-45 M.P.H when running, RT [Reaction-Time]- Average RT-160 milliseconds, RT Speed Plug-in S-145 milliseconds, Hyperspeed -112 milliseconds) but lower in battle. Due to divided concentration, overheating, and increased wearing on joints running is best used in short bursts.

Paw to Paw Combat Skills: High.

Durability: Slightly below average (comparatively speaking).

Conclusion: Use Option Cards to adapt to varying conditions in battle, while focusing on maximizing strength and speed and of avoiding hits. Note that durability can only be increased so much while at lower levels, durability and other stats will increase with age and to a higher degree with more powerful forms/Levels.

 **Field of Origin Info -**

Field Name: Unyielding Forest

Environment Class: Forest

Field Food: Animals and plants.

Owned and run by: Combined Renamon Clan(s) (Gatekeeper Clan).

Microverse Name: Polyperivállon-Plain

 **Shinka Info -**

Shinka Line: Evolves to the Fighting Monk "Toamon", then the Battle Priest "Sakuramon", then reaches Perfection as "Kybimon", Kitsune of Flames.

Current Level: Adolescent-Level but near to Adult-Level.

Type Info: A cunning, enigmatic, playful, and sometimes spiritual warrior whose core-personality trait is calmness. In contrast to that calmness, it sometimes enjoys teasing and humiliating its opponent. It can pre-plan well and trap it's foe but may need help with long-term battle strategy and complex planing unless trained in such things.

However, it is usually incapable of manipulation, and most exist as part of the family unit called a Beast Clan. It's Special Move is "Diamond Storm", though it prefers to use a weaker move first to test an opponent's reaction time and weaknesses."

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The redhead sighed and said, "Tell me something I don't know. Anyway, this feature does what it's supposed to do and I know what to use it for. Let's move on to something else. Can I even use the detection feature without another Digimon?"

The tailed fighter looked thoughtful and after thinking about it for two minutes, replied, "You can access the compass sub-function and the radar feature without a Digimon Matter-Emerging. However, you'll have to activate them separately, unless a M-Emerging takes place. Since our primary job is to defeat evil Digimon, criminal Digimon, and wild ones, the subroutine that bridges the gap between the compass and the radar functions activates automatically when a signal is detected and is otherwise useless."

Ruki looks slightly annoyed and said, "Shouldn't we be more proactive than that? For all we know, there are destructive Digimon in Tokyo right now."

The Renamon adopted a calm look, "That is most unlikely. Crossing over to your world is difficult and hazardous at best. That may change one day, but for now it is not for the faint of heart. Furthermore, there are two realms that stand between your world and the destructive void that separates each server that houses a digital world. One of those realms, called the net world has a security force that prevents intruders from our world or others from entering yours unless we wish it so."

The girl looked puzzled and asked, "If your system works for Earth, why send them here? Couldn't you just make the system work in your world?"

The Great Hunter sighed, "Our world doesn't have a buffer dimension/universe like yours does. This system isn't foolproof, and there are certain 'complications', but for the most part it does a good job of keeping threats away. Furthermore, there is another important security, but that's not important. The important thing is that the foes that are coming will soon be sent to certain closed off places here so they can be properly and safely dealt with. "A smart warrior does not always go looking for enemies, but instead waits for them to appear at the time and place of a warrior's choosing." -Huxian of Mont. Zhiguai, a scholar from the "Dragon's Roar" Civilization."

Ruki gave her partner a bemused look, "You know I didn't quite believe you when you told me that you once were an archivist, now I do. Anyway, let's see what these option cards can really do. Wait, do these cards even work like the ones in the Tamers crossover movie?"

The fox replied, "I am unfamiliar with the movie you mentioned, so I don't think I can make a comparison. Basically, the "Option Cards" are divided into three often overlapping categories:

The first one is "Apparition Attack", and it allows a Digimon to use the "Special Move" of the specific Digimon indicated on the term 'apparition' is used because certain cards cause an apparition of a Digimon who performs the attack instead of the individual in question. I suspect the reason behind this political, perhaps even political favoritism. A Special Move is a Digimon's archetypical attack, the one that comes to mind whenever you envisioned that opponent in action. However, sometimes the move is a weaker version of the original move, particularly if the Digimon is Ultimate or Perfect Level. The same problem applies to the other two categories as well. The second category is "App Ability", in this instance a Digimon games a special ability. These include increased strength, stamina, running speed, and superfast movement. I already have great speed, however it takes at least three minutes for me to reach 20 mph and the application ability allows me to achieve such speeds in only 2-5 seconds depending on the context. Also, my great speed is used sparingly because it costs me a lot of energy if I use it more than two times a final category is the one I find the most confusing, and is called "Digi-Mod". During the ancient Metal Empire, special components like artificial limbs were artificially created and added on to those who needed them. These components were known as "Digi-Parts" and the modification ability is a temporary version of this."

Ruki looked relieved that the info dump was over,"I see, anything else?"

The yellow powerhouse seemed to be in deep thought for a moment, "What I find puzzling is that since my outer skin changes along with my skeleton and I should feel great pain if these cards are used. However, I was repeatedly assured by my handler that I would feel no pain and the transformation would happen in only six seconds from my P.O.V. I am not certain if I believe her or not. Because there is some danger in this process, a second code phrase called "Digi-Modify" exists and I'm the one who says it."

Ruki gave her a searching look, "So your giving your consent for me to change your form, right?"

The Great Hunter nodded with a smile, "Now we can try the the cards." .

Ruki grinned excitedly,"Alright, let's try an "App Ability" out first."

Ruki pulled a card out of the card sleeve and shouted, "Power Plug-In P... Card Slash!" After having witnessed the move from the movie many times Ruki moved the card trough the slot. Then the device started to glow and the Fox said, "I feel my attacks becoming stronger... Power Paw!" Her hands glowed with blue flame and her claws came out and became red-hot. She then turned towards a steel beam leaning upright against a concrete block and struck the beam with three quick karate chops...

The beam fell to the ground, the part of it that had been chopped was smoking and melted. The Digimon looked at her hands in awe of her new power, and muttered a prayer of thanks. Ruki laughed triumphantly, milking the moment for all it was worth, "Soon the whole Digital World will fear the power of the Tamer!" For a brief moment her partner shuddered and thought, "What madness have we unleashed and how soon will it be before the power goes to her head?"


End file.
